


Bound For Tomorrow

by RavynSkye



Category: InuYasha - A Feudal Fairy Tale
Genre: Age Difference, F/M, Interspecies Romance, Japanese Character(s), Japanese Mythology & Folklore, Youkai
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-06-27
Updated: 2013-06-27
Packaged: 2017-12-16 07:54:06
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 24
Words: 58,303
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/859728
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RavynSkye/pseuds/RavynSkye
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The post-canon continuation of Sesshoumaru and Rin's relationship.  Rin is now a teenager, the typical age for marriage in her time period, and now that Kaede has passed away, she's alone again.  But Sesshoumaru won't allow it to be so for long!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

A/N: I hated the ending of InuYasha I had to continue the story until Rin and Sess end up together. This does NOT fit in with my ongoing arc, much of which was written before the ending of the manga, and assumed Rin would always stay with Sess.

Disclaimer: I don't own InuYasha, I don't own either Sesshomaru or Rin. I'm broke, so no lawsuits, 'k? Okay. Now that that's settled…

Bound for Tomorrow,

The girlish giggle and padding of tiny feet break him from his musings and remind him of ah-un's reins in his hand. After so long of having his small green retainer lead the two- headed dragon, both war steed and pet, the sensation is foreign to his hand.

Without thinking, and without being told to, he comes to his knees to accept the gift he knows the girl-child - no now young woman, has brought for him. They have been doing this for 9 years now, and as usual the gift is a flower. This blossom in particular is beautiful and he takes it from her hand to give it a moments consideration before handing it back to her and inclining his head slightly to allow her to complete one of their most sacred and, (for reasons of sparing his pride), secret rituals.

Delicate fingers that miraculously refuse to be callused by her time in the herb garden reach up and tuck the blossom behind his ear. He can clearly remember that she used to giggle when she did this, finding amusement in adorning the stoic and deadly demon lord with something as delicate as a flower in bloom.

Now he notices she meets his gaze and before she breaks contact he hears her breathe "seven". He makes a mental note to ask her what she means by that, we he notices her look down, her already fathomless onyx eye hidden beneath a newly blunted fringe of bangs, heading up only recently tamed, equally dark hair that now falls to the bottom of her rear end. Her hair is midnight black and so shining with health as to appear almost reddish under the tones of the descending sun, and blue under the moonlight.

Her cheeks dust pink against skin that must hold the same magic as her fingers because as they do not callous despite her work, her skin does not tan despite her many hours spent out of doors. He realizes that her alabaster complexion is not so far removed from his own unearthly hue.

For once in only a handful of times he can recall since the defeat of the kurohanyo, he is the first to break the not-at-all uncomfortable silence between them.

"Rin there is something I must tell you…" His tone is, even for him, heavy with the burden of being the barer of bad news. He knows that what he has to ay will most likely make her cry, but, before he can continue he hears her voice, but her tone is new, one he has not heard before, also heavy with a burden, although a hint of fear makes it shake like glass about to shatter,

"I have something to tell you too, but… you first."

He isn't sure how he managed it but it seems that he has somehow put her ill at ease, and he hasn't even said anything yet!

"Rin, there was an accident, and, Jaken did not survive."

He expected her to cry loudly, protest, even to question and perhaps, blame him for failing to protect the closest thing the girl had had to a childhood friend. He had been prepared for her ire, and to defend himself from a verbal assault.

He was not prepared for the completely different kind of assault she bestowed upon him.

It wasn't as if she'd never wrapped her arms around him before, it wasn't as if she'd never touched him, and he certainly had long ago gotten used to her head resting on his shoulder, or even in his lap, hell, holding her and embracing her had become somewhat common things during their frequent visits and after six years he is comfortable with her in a way he didn't think was possible… perhaps that is part of what has lead to his decision this day… though he has secretly known it was his fate for years.

He had given into his need to touch her and be touched by her after that first comforting touch he'd offered her after she'd died a second time and his mother had deigned to dirty her hands with her disappointment of a son, who she now pitied more than loved.

The girl was quiet, and only a few tears fell as she had placed a gentle hand on his cheek, cupping his jaw. She had never gone so far as to touch him in so… intimate a way. Come to think of it, had anyone, even the wind witch who sought to seduce him only for his power, ever touched him so intimately without some sort of ulterior motive, or hope of some payment? No… only Rin loved him, for him, and no other reason…

"Rin is so sorry Sesshomaru-sama… you are alone now…like Rin…" The last two words were full of sadness, and uncertainty.

He belatedly realizes that he has leaned into her touch, nuzzling against her, and she is lightly caressing the pad of her thumb along the stripes on his cheeks.

He knows of what she speaks, the hanyou had sought him out only a moon ago. The old miko has died, and in the last year of her life, had no longer the means to maintain ownership of either her hut or the lands she grew her herbs on. She has not paid the tribute to the human lord of these lands and his generosity has ended with allowing the miko to die in the hut she spent her life in. Rin is, once again, alone, and now facing homelessness.

He would never allow that to happen, but Rin does not yet know that he is here to collect her, and bring her back into his company, and if she accepts it, into his heart. He wants to marry her, make her his mate, and damn the consequences… He loves her.

He continues to feel her touch and the warmth of her hand contrasts against the cold of the centuries he has spent without any warm touches, the time when he has only been feared and hated, by human and youkai alike. He is awed again that this creature deigns to love him, when no one else has. The loneliness she has recently felt so keenly has only dully and recently crept over him, but in the long moment this…feeling… he is feeling is building, he is grateful to have her hand as his anchor to the present, where he is not, in fact, alone… He has her… and soon… she will know that she has him as well.

He mimics her actions of a scant 10 years earlier, ten years that, for her, has been only a few years more than half her lifetime, and he places his hand over hers to hold it in place. Her eyes widen, and it is there now this feeling… His pride will never allow anything more than the closing of his eyes, and a soft sigh of contentment. Only the safety of Rin and the fact that she loves him so unconditionally and without any judgments on his worth allows him to truly relax and show a hint of the man behind his emotionless mask. She alone has proven worthy of his private self. He allows himself the indulgence of simply feeling her touch, if only for a moment.

The kindness he sees, the love and esteem she holds him in, the secret longing she has for his touch, (the one she believes she has kept secret since she was thirteen), all that and more greets him as he forces himself to once again open his eyes, the sunlight grating him, even as her clear black pools soothe him.

Jaken's death has affected him more than he thought.

In that moment, he has an awakening, a sort of clarity and calm he has never known before in all his many years, he is looking forward to a life with her, to passions and love and things he never thought he would have. He wants to give her the world… he wants to give her hanyou pups and he wants to hold her in his embrace and he wants to… tell her he loves her. He can't do these things just yet, but he wants to, and that itself is progress. Instead he tells her,

"No Rin, you are not alone, I am not alone… we shall have each other from this day forward, for as long as the fates allow."

He sees the look in her eyes, he sees her dare to hope that she has not misunderstood what he has said, and the intentions behind it. And she hasn't.


	2. Shard of the Meidou-Seki

Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha, or the characters known as Sesshomaru and Rin.

A/N: This is a follow up to "Bound for Tomorrow: Sesshomaru and Rin"

He wants to give her the world… he wants to give her hanyou pups and he wants to hold her in his embrace and he wants to… tell her he loves her. He can't do these things just yet, but he wants to, and that itself is progress. Instead he tells her,

"No Rin, you are not alone, I am not alone… we shall have each other from this day forward, for as long as the fates allow."

He sees the look in her eyes, he sees her dare to hope that she has not misunderstood what he has said, and the intentions behind it. And she hasn't.

He wants to reassure her with a kiss, but, she is human, and their custom is to 'marry' before such a thing can occur.

Instead, he takes the flower from behind his ear and brings it down to roll the soft petals of the bloom across the soft petals of her lips. The flower will caress her as his mouth must wait to do, but he will not wait long, he is still, Sesshomaru, and patients has never been his forte.

He brings the flower from her lips to his own, placing the petals just under his nose, and he allows the quirk of his lips to let a ghost of a smile haunt his countenance for a moment, before tucking the flower under his kosode, right against his skin, over his heart.

He has taken the opportunity to exchange the flower for a small bit of folded silk. He unwraps it slowly, and Rin's eyes widen in astonishment, as she feels a sense of familiar energy eminnate from the tiny diamond shaped shard.

He is still on his knees before her, even so positioned, the girl is only a head and a half or so taller than he is. He realizes this position is putting him at eye level with warm, soft, only slightly large-for-her-frame perfectly round and symmetrical breasts, and suddenly his hands tingle, wishing to touch them, and his mouth is almost watering, anticipating the taste of her skin. He could swear that he can almost smell the scent of the milk she will produce, and use to nourish pups… his pups…their pups… He refuses to cheapen either her or this moment by ogling her lecherously, but still, it takes every inch of his iron clad self-control to focus his gaze on her face, and he holds the shard in the center of his palm, presenting it to her, feeling suddenly vulnerable, for this, more than any wedding, will seal them to each other. He has already bargained with himself that, even if she doesn't accept this gift, he will still claim her, but…

"Do you recognize what stone this is a shard from?"

Rin looks awed, and a million questions flit through her mind, but not single one is able to make it to her lips, which are suddenly very dry. Visions of a deep, dark, cold and endless place, a place devoid of hope, a place devoid of air, a place devoid of life, crisscross in her thoughts, forming a net that catches any words that might tumble out, and give away how nervous just being in the presence of such power makes her.

She can't answer, because, if she is wrong, she will sound so foolish that she is sure Sesshomaru-sama will scoff at her and retract his offer of a life spent together, because she knows he will not suffer a fool for a mate. Instead, she plays it safe, and asks a question she is almost certain she knows the answer to… but what she won't ask, what she can't ask, is why? What purpose could it possibly serve? Does this somehow mean...

The possibility sparks to life in her mind and her eyes grow impossibly large, and now he can actually see the wave of realization wash over her, and again, he realizes, she is beautiful.

"Sesshomaru-sama? Is that? Oh! Kami-sama! Is that?? It's a shard of the meidou tama?"

There is a look on her face, the fact that the previous fear has been replaced with an over-eager smile and she now looks at the stone less with reverence, but more with a sort of hunger, an anticipation she can hardly contain as he nods slowly, deliberately drawing this moment out, committing it to memory, so that one day, he might tell the story to his grandchildren…

Grandchildren??

The thought catches him completely by surprise, as he is only now getting used to the idea that he might soon become a father, and now…

'This Sesshomaru, a grandfather?'

It is these types of thoughts, the ones that come without his bidding, the thoughts that shock, but do not scare, him, that reassure him that he is not making a mistake, for she has put these thoughts, so alien and yet, so comforting in his mind.

"Do you still wish to be with this Sesshomaru forever?"

The full meaning, not just some vague inkling, but the true meaning of his words hits her suddenly, and there is suddenly no thought, no words, no existential or ethereal concept, nothing… nothing - that can describe what she is feeling.

In an impulsive and excessive move, two traits he has come to associate with her as freely as people associate him with restraint and stoicism, she bounces on the balls of her feet a few times and then throws herself at him, wrapping her arms around his neck so tightly that, if he were mortal, he is sure he would choke.

"Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes!"

Rin disentangles herself from him, and stares at him with an unguarded expression of love, holding nothing back. She hasn't been this free with him in quite some time, so concerned was she with hiding her 'secret' longings for him. There is something in his gaze, a weight to it, that is certainly not regret, more a kind of quiet acceptance, but is still it is... unsettling to her. As quickly as it came, the mirth is gone, and she is regarding him seriously.

"Sesshomaru-sama? You know... you know that... you know Rin loves you, right? You know Rin would do anything for you..."

The stoic heavy expression seems to be replaced with a light dancing in the back of his eyes that may just be... amusement. She feels suddenly very foolish, for what could she possibly do for him that would ever come close to rivaling this thing that he is done for her? He is Taiyoukai, and she, even if she is no longer mortal, is still painfully human.

She may have always suspected he was infinitely powerful, and even, in her childish ways, regarded him as some sort of kami. She knows that the fact that he can do this thing, that he can grant her what by all rights should be, for her, an impossible wish, should confirm these feelings, but somehow, contradictory to current evidence, it seems to make him so much more real to her.

Only then does she think about what he may have had to do to get this shard?

His mother surely wouldn't have handed it over so easily, and, even if she did... that he would have lowered himself to ask, when his mother surely would have known who and what it was for... surely, no matter what the circumstances, he sacrified a lot for her... either his pride, or his relationship with his last remaining parent was put up for paid, for nothing more than a single mortal girl... for her…

Rin is so humbled, so grateful, and so painfully aware, that she is simply not worthy of this beautiful creature, who stands before her, offering her things no mortal was meant to have.

In that moment, she hesitates, and thinks, for his own good, she should reject him, send him away, and pray he someday meets a demoness worthy of his affections, of his sacrifices, of his... love.

It is a good thing, for both of them, that the selfishness inherent in all those of her species will simply not allow her to give him up, despite the fact that she can never hope to come close to repaying all that he has done for her, and she can never hope to compare to what and who he must and might be giving up… despite that, Rin knows she cannot let him go, not now that he is here and he is willing to be with her…to love her... forever.

Only now is Rin beginning to realize the lengths he is willing to go for her, and this shard, more than any cheap words ever could, tells her that he loves her. All the consequences of that reality have yet to present themselves to her young and still somewhat naive mind, but she is not so foolish as to believe their relationship will be nothing but the stuff of romance novels, although, she has hope that at least part of their relationship will be that way.

"Sesshomaru-sama… how… how did you get this?"


	3. Acquiring The Meidou

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Characters, and make no money from writing this.

Flashback

He stands, facing his mother, who has turned to give him her back. A sign of disrespect, as it shows she is confident enough, or, in his opinion, foolish enough, to take her eyes from him, as though she does not consider him a threat.

He has demanded the one thing that can grant him the power to grant the wish of an eight year old ningen girl, who is no longer eight years old, no longer a girl, and now her wish has become his own.

Forever.

She wanted to be with him forever, and now, he wants nothing more than to have her there, at his side, forever.

'Does she mean so much to you?" His mother asks a question that she already knows the answer to, she only means to make him say it… instead, he growls, and his hand drifts to the hilt of Bakusaiga. She does mean that much to him, and he will kill his mother if he must. The idea of matricide has occurred to him before, but, only now is it an impending reality.

She turns then, as if sensing he is serious, and she gives him a smile… baring her fangs.

"Sesshomaru, I've said it before, but it bears repeating… you have become like your father in the strangest ways…"

He knows its true, he will not deny it, but still, he will not give her the satisfaction of saying it aloud either. He draws his sword.

Her eyes soften on him, in… pity? Perhaps it is even more than that, but he cares not to analyze it, for it doesn't concern him in this moment. His mother speaks again,

"There is no need for all this fuss over one mortal girl… Sesshomaru, I have always wanted your happiness… and if this is what you want, then… I will not give you the meidou," He cuts her off with a growl, and prepares to use his sword, allowing his jykai to flare, but before he can call the aura of the sword, she continues, as if he has not just threatened her life, "Just listen to me, koinu puppy, I will not give you the meidou… but, I will give you what you need, to keep the girl alive and un-aging, but… you must promise me something, in return."

He allows his aura to settle, but does not yet replace his sword in the sheath, he isn't quite sure if he trusts her…

"What would you have me promise you?" He doesn't care, he is merely curious… or so he tells himself.

"You will not betray her, forsake her, dishonor or… hurt her… the way your father did me. You will cherish her always, for that is what I'm giving you with her. I'm granting you always, and it is not to be taken lightly."

Never before has his mother admitted to him that his father's dalliances hurt her. The concept of his mother having feelings is as foreign a concept to him as his brother having intelligence. He feels, at that moment, almost… sorry, for her.

He only nods his assent. He does not feel the need to explain further, and he knows she will not expect him to.

He hears then, a terrible sound. A high pitched squeal that has him aching to cover his sensitive ears, and his eyes flick to the source of the painful noise. His mother has removed the stone from beneath the neckline of her kimonos, and is using a single claw to carve a shard from it's center. She has a look of concentration on her face, and when she is finished, she slowly approaches with a wry smile.

She makes to hand it to him, but when he reaches for it, she pulls her hand back, and her face becomes hard, her countenance serious, but in the back of her eyes, he can see the playful glint of mischief. He growls again. What game is she playing?

"One more thing, my son…" Her tone is teasing, and he hates it. Briefly, he considers killing her anyway, but dismisses the thought as soon as she speaks again,

"I know that you, yourself, have never been… intimate… with a female," His eyes narrow and he makes to speak, but is silenced when the hand that is not holding the precious shard comes up, bidding him keep silent just a moment longer, "but this old woman expects many grandchildren… hanyou though they may be… with you as sire the sons will be powerful and with her as mother, the daughters will be beautiful… when she is first with child, you will send for me, that I might watch over her pregnancy."

To say that he is shocked is an understatement, and when his mother reaches for him, he doesn't pull away. She hasn't held him since he was a pup, and even then she didn't do so often, preferring instead to leave him to the care of various nannies and tutors.

She holds her son in a tight embrace, and puts enough pressure on the back of his head to bring his head down to her level. She nuzzles him and uses the tip of her nose to caress his cheek, before licking the tip of his own nose in a gesture of motherly affection. He surprises her then by burying his nose in his mother's neck and scenting her. She is even more shocked when she feels a single tear hit the skin of her neck, and she smells salt in the air that is not from the ocean outside her window.

When he releases her again however, there is no evidence of his uncharacteristic show of emotion, and she almost believes she imagined it, but for the lingering salty flavor of the air.

He takes the shard from her, and turns on his heel, making to leave, leaving her to watch his retreat, silent prayers for both him and his human girl running through her mind. Suddenly, just as she is about to turn to leave, he pauses in mid-stride, with his back still to her, she hears him call to her,

"Hahaue," He pauses again, before adding in a low voice, "Domo Arigato."

Though she knows he cannot see it, she nods, and before she makes her way back into the shiro she adds, just as quietly,

"Become happy, Sesshomaru… my son."

He stops by the seamstress on his way out, delivering his orders, and returns days later to find it has been completed, but also there is something else. His mother has left orders as well…

There is a large trunk, filled to the brim with fine silk Kimonos, jewels, spices, incense and, most importantly, a note, with a headband laying a top of it. The head band is fine silver, and will rest so that a blue jade crescent moon stone will find itself resting in the middle of Rin's forehead.

The letter is addressed to Rin,

"To my newest Daughter,

Welcome to the house of the West.

It is now your duty to bear us many strong sons, and beautiful daughters.

Your Hahaue…

Lady Tsukimaru

For the second time in only a moon, he is fighting down his emotions, which threaten tears.

That night, with Ah-un packed, carrying the gifts for Rin from both him and his mother, he contemplates, once again, the twists and turns the fates have wrought into his life.

Before this month, he hasn't cried in nearly 400 years, yet he doesn't feel weak, but stronger than he ever has before. His decision to deliberately, finally, and completely damn the consequences of loving Rin, standing up to his mother, and finding… not more of her displeasure and disappointment, but… acceptance has left him… pleasantly upheaved, this change in himself is… freeing, and he feels like he's at the beginning of some great epic journey. There are healthy amounts of both trepidation and anticipation.

He is at once both reluctant and eager to leave the past behind and embrace this new part of himself… the one that… feels things, for a being other than himself… okay, if he is honest, he still feels nothing for almost any and everything else. It is only… her. Only Rin, that has the power to invoke these things in him. He admits with a wry sort of humor that she is the only one with so much power. A small mortal woman, and she has power over him. It is a startling revelation, and yet… he decides that it is comforting to have a check and balance to his unquestionable strength. He wonders if it has to be this way. For one as powerful as he, the fates mustsee that there needs to be an outside influence, someone or something to keep him from reeking havoc on the world. He needs her to temper him, lest he lose himself in the ultimate power he wields. She will keep him grounded and sane.

'The fates have a sense of humor' he admits dryly.

No he hasn't cried, not since the death of his grandmother, at the hands of a mortal priestess named Midoriko… the same one who created the shikon no tama, and later caused him so much grief with the bastard hanyou, Naraku… but… if not for her, he would not have met Rin, and if not for the mortals who caused his father's death, he would not be the bearer of Tenseiga and if not for…

He stops his train of thought. He will not question, will not analyze, the strings of fate that have brought him to this point in his life… he has done so on many occasions, while stargazing, lonely and angry at the world.

He is weary, tired of being angry, no… now he will do his best to simply be… grateful.

He rises from the tree stump he was resting on…

Its time to go, Rin is alone, and he will not allow it to be so for long.


	4. Explanation

A/N: Just a quick little update and backround info, with the next chapter up probably tomorrow, where we get back to the main action, and the present time. Lemon coming up not next chapter, but the chapter after that...

The unexpected reaction his mother had given him to his request continued to bother the taiyoukai.

His musings eventually led him to what he considered to be a reasonable explanation.

This would be added to the list, no doubt. The running list of reasons she has in her head why he is both a disappointment and a failure, and, most grating to him of all, an object of pity.

Yes the softened demeanor came not from love, but from pity… he is sure of it. The look in her eyes spoke volumes, and at the time, it was not his concern, but now that he has had time to think on it… he knows.

He knows that she knew that handing him what was needed for the girl, was also necessary for her own well-being, the well being of her son, and the well-being of the Western Lands, and she is, above all, a ruler.

She knows… as does he, that Rin is the only woman, human, demon or otherwise, who would have him. Beggars cannot be choosers, and Sesshomaru, for all his beauty, power and status, is so lacking in…anything else… that the only affections he garners are from youkai trash like the wind witch, (a weak off-shoot of an even lower creature, a created hanyou), and the wraith of a confused mortal woman who not only plays a flute, but also obviously borders on the mentally deranged.

She knows that Rin is, at least, a decent soul, who, Kami-sama knew why, but who, DOES love her son.

After witnessing her only child fail, yet again, on two accounts, (the first being the protection of the mortal girl-child, and the second being his inability to pull himself together after his initial failure), she knew that it would once again fall to her to clean up the nesses of her teenaged, (by demon standards), son, and return the only thing he'd seemed to deem worthy of his affections – the girl – to life.

She could not allow him to fail in the protection of that girl again… if that were to happen, and he were to become distracted while defending the castle, the lands, or himself, well… it could allow the opportunity for history to repeat itself, and she would not let that happen.

She would not lose the last male (save the wretched hanyou), in her ruling line, because he chose to sacrifice himself for a single mortal woman, or went insane, because she eventually died of old age.

She was a ruler, and practical to a fault.

Her son would not give up the girl, and so, it was up to her to make sure that the girl remain safe, and alive, so that her son would remain so as well.

When humans refer to youkai as 'unfeeling', they are completely inaccurate in the statement.

While it may appear to outsiders that they feel nothing, the truth is that youkai feel everything, very deeply.

When a creature's emotions are as strong as a youkai's, and the being is as powerful as a youkai, such a creature must simply be extremely selective in the things they choose to have feelings over.

When a youkai feels hate, he feels it completely, down to his very bones, when a youkai feels anger, nothing can stop the tidal wave of destruction until the source of such anger is obliterated. When a youkai holds a grudge, he will never let it go… and… when a youkai loves… he does it with everything he is… and he does it forever.

To have such strong emotions, one must be careful who they allow to have influence over those emotions…

Rarely do youkai allow themselves the indulgence of true emotions.

And almost never do they love.

Not because they can't love, but because of the extent to which they can.

It was clear to her now…

Sesshomaru loved Rin.


	5. Reaching Out

"It was a gift, from your Hahaue."

His reply is so simple, and for any other couple it would be nothing to get excited over, but for Rin, this level of acceptance is completely unexpected and she isn't sure she will be able to contain her tears much longer…

He'd told his  _mother_ … and she… accepted it?!

"Your mother gave me  _that_ as a gift?" the girl's disbelief is obvious.

"No." his reply caught her off guard… she makes to question him but before it can leave her lips, he continues, bringing himself from his knees to standing once more.

"She gave  _me_  the shard as a gift… the gift of you." He reaches out and placed his hand on her shoulder, and gives it a small squeeze, before sliding the backs of his claws up to the back of her neck, squeezing there as well, and using his leverage on her to pull her close and tuck her into his chest, then bringing his own head forward, and letting his nose graze her hair, taking in her scent and feeling his chest clench, before forcing himself to continue,

"The gifts she commissioned for you are packed in the crates you see attached to ah-un's sides, there are many, and you will have a chance to survey them when we reach my brother's hut."

With nothing to say that is adequate for the situation, she simply bows her head, tucking herself closer to his body, and allows her sleeve to come up and hide her giddy smile. This is… real. He told his mother, and, that somehow makes it… official… in her simple village girl's mind.

She looks up when she sees his black boot clad feet move slightly away from her, and feels him release her from his half-embrace. Then, in a gesture ripe with meaning, he extends a hand towards her, intent on making his way towards the village, and his brother's hut, where Rin has been staying for nearly a moon now, since being evicted by the local human lord's samurais, only two days after Kaede passed away.

Luckily, it was expected, and all of her precious silk kimonos, her bone combs, her silver mirror, and the other expensive trinkets he has brought to her over the years had already been packed away in the large wooded box, with the ornate designs on it, that Sesshomaru had gifted her with when he realized she was running out of places to store his other gifts, and had already been moved, so they could not demand any of her things as payment for the last year's tributelessness… truly, she will admit, but he would deny, he has spoiled her over the years.

She still has  _it_. The first material thing he ever gave her… the checkered silk kimono she wore when she traveled with him. She had never felt silk before, and, at the time, she was still mute… but he must have figured it out when she brushed her hand against his sleeve that first day and stopped to stare in wonder. She didn't know to be afraid of him, or not to touch him, so she had reached out again, and run fingers over the material slowly, with a look of awe on her face.

The next morning she had woken to find the new child's size silk kimono laying in front of her, and her new guardian staring off into space, perfectly content to pretend it had shown up there by magic.

She spoke her first word in 2 years then… her voice, raspy with disuse had managed to choke out an 'arigato' before coughing from the unfamiliar strain in her throat.

He had said nothing at first, then he had informed her that she stank of blood, wolves and death, and her 'human stench' was disgusting him.

He'd taken her to the nearby river, and commanded her to bathe. He watched over her while she did so, and when she was dressed, he'd handed her something from his sleeve. It was a bundle of stuffed rice balls.

"I won't make a habit of this; you'll have to find your own food."

But…

Whenever she'd been unable to find food, he'd do the same thing, and repeat his command, even if he'd given her food several days in a row, he'd still claim that he'd not make it a 'habit', and she'd 'have to get her own food.'

She'd smiled at him, the whole day through, and it felt like, since that day, she'd never stopped smiling at him.

She took his hand and gave him a questioning look.

"We have a monk to find."

If memory served him, the monk had been the one to perform the human ceremony for his brother and his miko. He was also fairly certain that  _this_  particular monk would be one of the  _only_  monks to be willing to 'marry' a taiyoukai and a young ningen woman.

He was… nervous. Not about the ceremony itself, not about entering into a  _life_  with Rin, no…  _that_  was something he was looking forward to with no hesitation or reservations. It was the acts he would be expected to engage in the night directly  _following_  the wedding that had him so… uncomfortable. He had never been… intimate… with anyone before. He was…concerned…

He wanted, for the first time in his life, to  _please_  another being. He was unsure of how to go about it. He was unconcerned for his own pleasure. He rarely thought of such things, and even more rarely pleasured himself. He considered himself to be… above… such basal needs, but… with  _Rin…_

He wouldn't lie to himself and he had to admit that the girl had a certain ability to… excite… him, with even the most innocent of gestures.

He was…not  _impatient…_ exactly… he was more… eager, yes, he concluded silently,  _eager_  was a good word for it.

He would also use the opportunity to place the meidou shard into Rin, implanting it in her body the same way that the shikon shard was placed in  _the boy_.

However, he did not want it in her neck, but, in her chest, in the valley between her breasts, where, whenever he was fortunate enough to indulge himself in that particular part of her anatomy, he would see it there, reminding him of her now, permanence in his life.

Ah-un's reins in one hand, Rin's in the other, he realized two things; one, that he did not have a hand free to grab a sword, and two, he felt… complete, in some unnamable way. He had, for so long, had nothing but the swords at his hip to reach for, and now… now he had Rin's hand to reach for as well. He was reaching out, literally, and figuratively to the world beyond himself, beyond his own small circle of existence, beyond power and battle and fighting and death, blood and tears and the smell of fear.

For the first time in his life, there was something he wanted to hold, beyond the hilt of a sword.

 _Rin_.


	6. Forever Mine

Disclaimer: I do not own either Inuyasha or the characters, Sesshomaru and Rin.

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Title: Bound for Tomorrow 2: Chapter 5 – "Forever Mine"  
Prompt:N/A  
Word Count:2,626  
Rated:T  
Summary: Reassurance is needed on both of their parts, and he is more than willing to give it to her.  
Genre:Romance  
Warnings: None.  
A/N:I went for a different style with this one, more purple prosy-ish

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_Ah-un's reins in one hand, Rin's in the other, he realized two things; one, that he did not have a hand free to grab a sword, and two, he felt… complete, in some unnamable way. He had, for so long, had nothing but the swords at his hip to reach for, and now… now he had Rin's hand to reach for as well. He was reaching out, literally, and figuratively to the world beyond himself, beyond his own small circle of existence, beyond power and battle and fighting and death, blood and tears and the smell of fear._

_For the first time in his life, there was something he wanted to hold, beyond the hilt of a sword._

_Rin._

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Rin takes his outstretched hand, and gives him a questioning look, not in response to the offer of a hand, as that has become common place to her over the years, but in response to his statement in regards to 'finding a monk',

"Sesshomaru-sama… do you mean… are you… I mean, you're really going to… DOYOUREALLYWANTTO **MARRY** ME?" She blurts out gracelessly, so excited by the news.

He turns to her, letting go of Ah-un's reins and gives her his own questioning look. Was that not what he'd communicated by giving her the shard?

For a brief moment, fear overtakes him. Has he misunderstood something? He can't possibly fathom how he could have, given what has just happened between them, but the doubt that comes upon him suddenly tears his heart unsunder and threatens to undue him.

"You… do not wish it? You may… reject this Sesshomaru, if you wish. This Sesshomaru would still allow you to travel with him."

He has slipped back into his imperial speech pattern, aloof, and reassuring. Like a security blanket, the familiar distance is his futile attempt to hide his hurt and fear from the only person who would be able to see those two things in him. Its obvious that she has though, by the look on her face when she meets his eyes. Even though she  _is able_  to see those things in him, it does not mean that she is not shocked by them, so rare has the occurrence been that he has felt  _those_  particular emotions. He makes the realization then that the only times he has ever felt  _sadness_  and  _fear_  has been in situations that concern the girl. The common thread among each instance where his stomach has churned, his chest has tightened and his breathing has been halted is… _her._  She is the only thing he cares about enough, that if he lost  _her_ , the  _he_ , himself, would also be lost. He gives in to the revelation more easily than he imagined he would…

_Her power over him is absolute._

The shock on the girl's face would be comical in any other situation, and all of sudden she turns her head and blushes profusely, and refuses to meet his gaze, furthering his burgeoning fear, but all is set right again when she responds,

"Of course I want to marry you! I just didn't think… I mean, I thought maybe you might not want to… I mean… I didn't know you'd make it official… I thought maybe you just wanted me as a…"

Before she can say the word he knows she's thinking, he raises the hand no longer holding Ah-Un's reigns and grips her chin roughly, forcing her to look at him. He sees her wince and inwardly he winces himself. He's fighting down anger now, and he must remind himself that she while she is no longer a child, she is still young and the things she has heard him say in the past about Inuyasha's  _human_  mother must have influenced her line of thinking. She thinks he means to take her into his heart, and his bed, but not into his  _life_. She thinks he wants her as a _whore_.

_Never!_

Yes, this is  _his_  fault, not hers. Upon realizing this, he softens again, able to push away the anger at her, and reserve it for himself.

"A whore?" he all but whispers, the very word making his stomach churn and his tongue feel thick. Rin is his precious little girl… never once had he ever thought to…

_No._

He  _must_  remedy this situation, and lay to rest this malicious self doubt and poisonous flaw in Rin's thinking.

Before he can take another step, literally or figuratively, this girl will know his heart, even if he must grind the words from throat and  _will_  his lips to move, he  _will_  say the words which  _must be_  said.

_She is worth it._

"You would think I mean to take you as whore?"

There is no accusation in his tone, in fact, even though he knows the cause of this misconception, he can not help but to wonder how this girl who, in all other ways seems to read him so well, has so seriously misjudged his feelings when it comes to  _her._

He sounds sad, lost, and bewildered, and he knows it,  _and hates it,_  but it is beyond his control. In this single instance, he cannot help the tone of regret in his own voice.

Her slight nod, lowered eyes, and the way her cheeks burn with shame; all those things conspire to kill all the joy he was feeling only moments ago.

"Rin…"

He calls her name but she does not look up,

"Look at me, Rin."

He tries, again more softly this time. These are not commands, not even requests, but the pleadings of man desperate to regain the connection he felt with his  _beloved_ ,

only moments ago.

_Yes. My anata…_

He thinks about the phrase to himself, pleased with the sound of it, but tamps down that feeling, reminding himself of the problem at hand, and steeling himself to do what must be done, say what must be said, to resolve it.

 _Rin…please_.

Reluctantly she raises her eyes to his, and before he can speak again, before he can apologize for ever giving her any indication that she would be anything less than his 'Lady Wife' and his 'Life Mate' and his  _equal_  in all things,  _she_  speaks.

"Gomennasai, Sesshomaru-sama… Rin should have never doubted you."

Then, the heavens themselves open up and shine down on her lovely face as a wide smile curves her delicate pink lips, and renewed devotion lights the depths of her expressive onyx eyes. In a beautiful moment, the burn of shame is replaced by the blush of a woman who is embarrassed by some compliment he has unknowingly bestowed. She covers their still connected hands with her other one, and gives him a reassuring squeeze, before she continues,

"Please, forget I ever said that… please, Sesshomaru-sama, let's go?"

She tugs on his hand in a childish way, attempting to bring him into forward motion once again, but he is unmoved and instead  _he_  drags  _her_ closer to his body, placing a hand at her cheek, and leaning down, brushing his lips against her other cheek and whispering,

"Arigato Rin-chan".

He has realized that she has responded the way she has to save him the awkwardness of attempting to verbalize his feelings for her. She has, once again, read him like a book, and responded to his needs perfectly.

_By all the gods and demons in the world, she is so_ _**good** _ _to me._

Rin gives a knowing smile and a nod of acknowledgement, seeming, in that instant, wise beyond her years, and he can't help but this of the contradiction it presents to the childishness of her tug at his hand only moments ago. The thought amuses him, though, he can't say why?

Deciding not to dwell on it, he grabs Ah-Un's reigns again and the two make their way in comfortable companionable silence to his brother's hut, on the outskirts of the village.

Rin gives him a meaningful, yet playful look as she disentangles her hand from his before she calls out to her soon-to-be sister in law. Instead of Kagome, who he could have told Rin from the scent in the hut, wasn't there, two sets of eyes, one gold, one blue, peak out from behind the bamboo door covering, before lighting up and bursting through in a flash of inhuman speed.

He had wondered why she had disconnected herself from him, thinking perhaps modesty or an attempt to spare his pride may have been behind the gesture, but, in an instant that possibility is discounted as two quarter-inuhanyou pups, his niece and nephew, leap out from behind the bamboo curtain and all but  _attack_  Rin, knocking her to the ground, licking her face, setting off a round of giggles for all three of them.

"Rin-chan! You're back!"

The eldest, a female, Yuri, if his memory serves, cries out as she nuzzles into Rin, and if he were of a different character, he might have smiled at the scene.

Rin sits up in the grass, carefully pulling the pups from on top of her, and setting the younger, a boy, Souta, he believes, in her lap, and smoothing over his hair, while delicately rubbing his silver puppy ears, giggling as she watches them flick under her gentle touch. The look on her face speaks of her affection for these quarter-demons, and he can't help but be relieved, as he has recently begun to dream of hanyou in his future…

_How much she has changed him._

"Will you play the sniffing game with us again?" The younger pup begs. His sister interrupts him, begging to differ,

"No I wanna play 'predator and prey'!"

He is inwardly curious about the games these pups wish to play, and what they might entail, but he remains characteristically quiet. Perhaps he will inquire later?

Rin giggles, again, before responding.

"Not right now, pups. Auntie Rin needs to speak with your Hahaue."

The pups groan in disappointment, informing Rin that Kagome is tending to a pregnant woman who has been having terrible nausea, and she will return shortly, after she has delivered the herbs that may help the poor woman's condition.

Rin looks up to him, gauging his reaction to the behavior and presence of the pups, and the news of Kagome's delayed arrival.

Only then do the two youngest pack members acknowledge his presence, and only because they have followed her gaze. The boy takes a sniff of the air, and his eyes widen in shock. He climbs out of Rin's lap and rolls onto his back before the alpha-scented daiyoukai. The female, also apparently catching a whiff of his alpha scent, looks up to him and purposely tips her head back, before lowering her eyes to the side.

The instinctual submission to a higher ranking pack member pleases him greatly, and in a very unusual show of his heritage he gives a soft growl, and then an acknowledging bark.

He almost falls to the ground in shock when he hears then, a dismissal yip come from… _Rin._

His eyebrows shoot up into his bangs, so high there is a crease in his crescent moon marking on his forehead. He is openly staring at her in awe.

His Rin only laughs, and gives him a good natured playful growl, and a long drawn out bark, which shows her amusement in surprising him.

The pups look to him for confirmation of the lower ranking female's order to 'run off and play', and he gives a growl that turns to a yip mid way through, indicating a good natured, 'what are you waiting for'?

The two pups get up and skip happily off, and he hears the older one's suggestion to go and find 'Otou-sama'.

He extends a hand, helping Rin to her feet from her current position, still seated on the ground, and as he's helping her up he notices that she too has tilted her head back and to the side, and lowered her eyes. The gesture is the appropriate one of submission when accepting assistance from a higher ranking male, indicating gratitude by way of subtle submission.

As shocked as he is by her actions, he cannot help the warmth that flows into his chest and he acknowledges how immensely  _pleased_  he is with Rin in this moment. While he has, of course, accepted her humanity, he cannot help but be elated that she is obviously familiar with Inuyoukai customs and behaviors and he can't help but wonder why she hasn't demonstrated this for him before now.

_Perhaps because you have never demonstrated these behaviors before now…_

When she comes to standing he decides to further test her, and gives a soft growl of approval, and leans forward, looking her in directly in the eyes. She looks slightly away, as she should. This further encourages him and leans forward and gently licks tip of her nose, which, he notices, reflexively scrunches in the most adorable way…

_Adorable?_

He scoffs to himself at his use of terminology, even if it  _is_  only in his own mind.

_What has this bitch done to this Sesshomaru?_

There is an inward chuckle that she must have seen slip into his eyes, judging by the soft giggle he hears, as she reaches up with both hands and fists his haori at his shoulders, pulling slightly, encouraging him to lower his face and neck to within her reach. He obliges, wondering if she will do what he hopes she might…

His Rin doesn't disappoint, and he feels her tuck her head briefly under his chin, and then tilt back to lick him, from his Adam's apple to under the tip of his pointed chin.

Instinct kicks in and he can't help but to reward this level of intimate submission. One clawed hand comes up to lightly grip the side of her neck, tipping her head to side, and burying his nose against throat. He feels silken black strands brush against the tip of his nose, and he inhales deeply, resisting the urge to lick her, and taste the salty-sweetness of this vunerable column of her flesh he is so closely pressed against.

_In due time._

He reminds himself that he will have ample opportunity to do just such a thing in the near future, and some things can wait. Instead, he  _does_ growl softly against her skin and whisper to her,

"Good giiirrrllll Rin…. "

She goes limp in his embrace, and he  _loves_  it, his instincts screaming at him that she is  _submitting_ , exactly as she should do. Her going limp also gives him an excuse to support her by wrapping his free arm around her waist, and he definitely enjoys that as well.

So pleased is he with this new development and position, that he forgets himself for a moment and fails to stop the sigh of contentment at feeling her pulse and scenting her soft floral scent, and, in his immense pleasure, he mutters, more to himself than to her, and muffled against her throat,

"My beautiful bitch."

The instant the phrase escapes his lips, he stiffens. He has momentarily forgotten that such a phrase could be terribly insulting to a human woman, as 'bitch' is  _not_  the term of respect and honor among humans that it is among his kind. He fears he may have hurt her feelings. He is already planning his explanation and apology, when, once again she saves him the trouble of awkward words, and his discomfort is relieved immediately when she responds to him, her voice breathy, and in fact, he can  _feel_  her warm breath slipping into the 'V' and brushing his collar bone.

"Hhhaaaiiii…  _your_  bitch… _Itsumo your bitch._ "

He pulls away, still under the spell she has unwittingly cast, and confirms it for both of them once again. With all seriousness, and strong conviction his deep voice resonates in the air, as he states with an authority he knows she finds comforting,

"Hai… you  _are_  mine, Rin. Now, and  _forever_ , you  _belong to_ this Sesshomaru."

The girl sighs in contentment, and gives him an easy smile, the one he so longs to see.

Yes, the thought is infinitely pleasing and more comforting than his pride would care to admit.

_My Rin, my bitch, forever…"_

She smiles wider when he looks away, momentarily lost in his own thoughts, and growls under his breath, speaking only to himself, but loud enough that she can make out the single word he has said.

" _MINE."_


	7. The Inlaws

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The spell is broken as soon as he hears his brother's miko make her way over to the hill. Even after all these years, he can still sense her unease in his presence, and now for some reason he cannot determine, it grates on him. She should know by now that he has no ill intentions for either her pack or the village at large, but still she fears him.

It reminds him yet again, that there is only one woman whom he has never scented fear on, at least in reaction to him.

_Rin._

All those years ago he could not decide if it was foolishness or bravery that led the little orphaned girl, who obviously lacked proper supervision, to his side, when he was alone in the woods; wounded, and in enough pain to easily be considered 'feral.'

Lately however, he has found he no longer even cares to question it, as it no longer makes a difference. He has recently decided to stop dwelling on things he cannot change, and accept the fates' kindness to him, though he knows he will never be able to fathom the reasons he has gained their favor.

_He truly doesn't deserve her._

The woman his brother makes his home with fakes a smile, but he can feel her miko energy swirling. Although it does not harm him in it's dormant state, he is forced to admit- she is the only miko he has ever met that is strong enough to cause an involuntary reaction from his jykai. He closes his eyes for the briefest of moments, focusing on regaining his inner peace, while continuing to strive to maintain it in the presence of one who should naturally be his enemy.

How his brother can mate with her and remain unaffected is another subject he has unwittingly found himself contemplating, despite his best efforts, not to think of such things in regards to...  _him._

While he is aware that it makes her 'weaker', he is still infinitely glad in these moments that Rin is  _not_  a miko.  _That_  might have been the final advantage she needed over him, to push her into the territory of 'true threat'; and in those early days… he might have killed her.

He had thought about it several times when she was younger and the girl had demonstrated the uncanny ability to know his mind and heart without any outward indications from him. That is one talent she continues to display, even to this very day.

It had only been curiosity on his part that kept the girl alive and at his side in those early days, and now more than ever he is grateful that his father's training had beaten down his natural impulses to make rash and violent decisions when he was but a pup.

The miko regards him coolly, and yet, he can tell that she is struggling for control of herself in the face of more jykai than she is able to purify. She is fighting her instinct to run and try to escape, or to throw a barrier up around herself and pray.

_How did she carry quarter youkai pups?_

There are some mysteries he will never solve.

"Sesshomaru-sama, Rin-chan?" She nods her head at them both in turn, although he knows she would usually never be so formal with Rin. This act is for his benefit alone, and he wishes, not for the first time, that he had the ability to turn his imposing jykai OFF and ON at will.

Even without the jykai swirling in his aura, he is an imposing figure and it had always served his purposes well to intimidate those around him. However, now that he has no desire to be so imposing or condescending, he finds it annoying that he lacks the ability to 'connect' with others, thus leaving him forever an outsider, always looking in at those around him; an observer, -not a participant- in the lives these people lead. He is still, despite everything, not 'one of them'; not a true member of the pack. He is, for all practical purposes and despite his alpha status, a lone dog. Everything in his instincts fights against this reality, but his demeanor and 'personality' (or in his case, lack thereof), makes it so. This contradiction within himself has always proved to be his one fatal flaw, and is the source of many of his contradictory actions.

Proclaiming he 'protects nothing' as he is  _in the process_  protecting the girl. Claiming he is only going to hell to kill the dog, however saving Rin in the process… even his mother hadn't bought that line…

Yes, his seemingly never ending list of hypocritical actions which contradict his words have always spoken louder to the girl. She understands his mouth and mind are not always in agreement and has therefore chosen to ignore his possibly hurtful words and instead let his actions speak of his true mind on any given matter.

When everyone else heard 'This Sesshomaru protects nothing", the girl heard him louder and more clearly than the rest…

_This Sesshomaru protects_ _**you** _ _, Rin._

If not for the girl, it was entirely possible that he would have spent his entire existence alone, never feeling the warmth of another's touch, never knowing what it was like to be in the presence of another and not have to fight the instinctive crinkle of his nose while he attempts to sift through the scent of fear to discern what else they might be feeling.

 _He'd always thought that humans_ _ **smelled badly**_.

He'd never known the sweet floral scent of a human woman could be so enticing until he'd smelled it without the overlaying and pungent aroma of absolute  _terror_. Whether they thought he meant to rape or kill, he was never entirely sure. All he knew was that the mere  _sight_  of him in the distance induced something close to a state of panic and it was not rare for ningen onna to pass out if he paused to even ask for directions.

Yes, he learned quickly in his younger years that it was better to find his own way, rather than to deal with the harsh reality that he was a thing of terror and fear, myth and horror stories told around campfires, and warnings to children of what could befall them if they wandered too far from home.

Even when he'd been a pup that had been the case.

_He is a monoke, a_ _**monster** _ _._

Sesshomaru could never understand how his father could  _stand_  to be around his human woman. He had had no idea they could react in any other way towards his kind.

So it was no small wonder that he'd come to hate them. It wasn't easy to soften towards an entire race of people that assumed the worst about him with absolutely nothing to go on but facial markings and silver hair.

_They wanted his worst?_

_They wanted a_ _**monster** _ _?_

Then a monster he would be…

Oh, and he'd given them their monster, alright. He  **became**  something to be afraid of. Even with  _her_ , his immediate intent had been to _frighten_  her off.

_But…_

Rin had refused to see a monster in the woods that day, seeing instead only a wounded creature, in dire need of assistance and  _she_  refused to be  _frightened_  away.

 _She_  has single handedly redefined everything he has ever 'known' about her kind.

It had taken years for him to realize what the lovely scent was that always hung about her in a pleasant cloud. It wasn't until he'd left her with Kaede that he had even realized that she didn't  _always_  smell that way… No… it was not until he observed and caught her scent from afar, and she hadn't smelled of that lovely aroma, that he knew that it wasn't a constant.

He had only figured it out when the pleasant scent surrounded her again while she was recalling a memory of her parents; in great detail. She'd ended her story with, 'Rin misses her okaa-san and otou-san… Rin loved them very much…'

His eyes had widened and his jaw had gone slack at finally realizing what that scent that he had so come to enjoy on her was… That wonderful scent that never failed to surround her when she was near him, even in her sleep. The very scent he came to associate with her as much as he associated her with side ponytails and flowers…

That scent was…

_Love._

~*~

"Kagome-chan! Guess what? Rin is getting married!"

He watches the miko's pleasant surprise paint itself over her features. Obviously she hasn't yet realized who Rin means to marry, or she would not be…

His thoughts are abruptly interrupted when the younger miko, now completely different in both stance and scent, approaches him and gives him her sternest glare…

"Aniki, I swear, if you hurt her, I'll purify you to within an inch of you life! Do you hear me?"

Her threat is harsh but her tone is light and he is perplexed again by the contradictions he finds in humans, especially the females of the species. He can't ever recall a time when Rin has displayed this kind of odd behavior. Her scent, her sound, and her sight always… match. She is truly incapable of deceit and artifice. It is one of the reasons he chooses to label her as 'pure' in his mind. There are never any tears when she says she is 'fine' and never once has she claimed she is 'fine' when there are tears… the way he has observed his brother's miko to be.

He finds it odd that a miko could be so internally disorganized, but perhaps this is simply one of those 'human' things that is simply beyond his understanding?

For once she has used the 'proper' term for him; Aniki has much more respect behind it than Onii-san… This pleases him so he decides to reward her for it.

"ojou-san … do you  _doubt_  this Sesshomaru's intentions?"

The miko waves her hand away as if dismissing his question.

"Soooooo, when will it be? Oh! Rin! We have to prepare!"

This strange female seems as if she has taken upon herself the task of planning the ceremony, when neither he nor Rin has asked for her assistance, and once again he is annoyed, something this woman never fails to do to him. He looks only slightly away and stiffens for less than a second, but his Rin has caught on, whereas this other… ningen… has obviously not.

"Uhhh, Kagome-chan… we've only just begun to get the details together, but before we do anything, don't you think it would be wise if we spoke to Miroku-sama first?"

Rin's diplomacy is admirable and he can't help but to be impressed. She has handled this woman far better than he ever could have. He is force and power, where Rin is tact and reason.

 _It is a good match…_  He reminds himself, his pride swelling at his obvious genius in deciding to accept Rin as a mate. She is his perfect compliment, and will be an asset to his supreme reign, and he is certain that, when the time comes she will be a most capable negotiator.

His pride has not even silently communicated his private pride, at least the he is aware of, and yet, he can see the blush of Rin's cheeks as if he has just said complimented her aloud.

_What is her secret?_

He was so distracted that he missed the directions to the monk's location. Rin knows this too, as she walks only  _slightly_  in front of him for several steps, until he is able to pick up on the general direction. She has once again, spared him any sort of embarrassment in admitting his wandering mind.

It is true…There are many times when others see him as 'aloof' and 'distant', when he is merely 'distracted,' caught inside his own personal thoughts and simply… _not paying attention._

If his enemies were to ever pick up on this weakness of character, he would surly be taken advantage of, but his Rin has simply accepted it as a part of him, and gently guides him ever closer to the world outside his mind.

Within a reasonable distance, he is able to pick up on the scent of the monk and he notes with disgust that he can still smell the recent coupling with his taijiya wife. Sesshomaru sifts through his memory and he tries to recall if there has ever been a time he  _hasn't_  scented recent mating on this particular monk… With a snort of disgust, he realizes no particular instance comes to mind.

_Surely he_ _**bathes** _ _; as there are no_ _**other** _ _unpleasant scents… it is simply that this monk is incapable of keeping himself in his robes._

_**Disgusting** _ **.**

"What's wrong, Sesshomaru-sama?"

Again Rin knows without his saying that something is bothering him.

"It's nothing, Rin."

Then it dawns on him … She is still using his title, and he has yet to use a single human endearment towards her. He is certain that he has heard his brother call his mate many things; anata, koibito, and occasionally even 'bitch,' however, he has yet to make any of these hallmark statements towards  _his_  intended.

He congratulates himself for even thinking of something he would usually deem so trivial. Then again, even one as inexperienced as he is, is well aware that females of  _all_  species place high importance on such sentimentalities and useless gestures. It is the nature of them.

Before they draw near the monk's home, he stops and turns towards Rin.

"Rin."

Immediately she stops, her attention rapt. She never fails to do exactly as he wishes.

"You will cease to add the honorific to… my… name."

 _Yes_ … He gives himself another mental pat on the back. The girl is pleased with this development. He can smell it and see it in her expressive features. Although, she has only nodded her assent, he is scenting the feelings radiating off of her, and she is  _very_  pleased indeed.

"Yes… Sesshomaru…"

Just as he expected she tries saying his name without his title almost immediately. This girl is able to surprise him more than any other creature ever has, so on the occasions that he is able to predict her behavior, his ego always soars, and this occasion is no different.

He walks tall and proud with her at his side as the monk comes into view.

~*~

The monk, far more genuine in his actions than the miko, actually approaches  _him._  Secretly, of all of his brother's companions it is the monk that he would say understands him the most. Never once has he attempted to manipulate or 'charm' him, the way he has seen this houshi do with others. No, with him, the monk always shows the proper amount of deference, and states his business clearly and concisely. For that alone, Sesshomaru has granted the monk the smallest amount of respect, even if he  _doesn't_  acknowledge it aloud, it is there.

He also appears to be the only one among the group to understand that Sesshomaru is no longer given to unprovoked attacks upon his brother or his brother's pack.

"Well, Good day to you, Sesshomaru-sama," he pauses, before tossing a genuine smile Rin's way, "And to you, Lady Rin." He turns back to Sesshomaru, as he should when discussing 'business' matters, "What is it I can do for you, my ally if not my friend?"

Rin giggled softly to herself at the monk's compliment of her, but wisely decides not make an issue of it in front of him.

"I require your assistance, houshi."

Miroku nods knowingly, and glances at Rin, then nods his head in a silent show of acceptance, before stating, "It will, of course, be my honor, to assist you in any way possible."

His answer is exactly what Sesshomaru wants to hear, as the monk has all but agreed, and will be hard pressed to deny the request for a ceremony, now that he has made such an open-ended offer.

"I wish for you to perform a ceremony for Rin and this Sesshomaru."

Miroku nods, and the tiniest hint of playfulness sneaks into his tone,

"Am I to assume this is to be a wedding ceremony?"

Sesshomaru stiffens, he will not allow this monk to make a mockery of his request, and he was determined that the monk see the seriousness of his intent. He Arches one delicate eyebrow, and decides to respond simply. He will not explain himself or his request unless he is forced to do so. This monk will see no hesitation in him. He will make no apologies or excuses, this is his choice, and he will not allow the monk to feel as if, just because Sesshomaru  _needs_  him, that he has a right to question the decisions of one such a he.

"You are. Will you do it?"

The monk brings his hand to his chin and an even wickeder gleam shines in the back of violet eyes, as he says,

"Hmmm… I would feel much better performing the ceremony if you were to claim her in the youkai way first."

Sesshomaru is clearly annoyed. He stares with a deadly calm at the monk, his eyes narrow and he feels his claws  _twitch_.


	8. Preparations

He  _will_  refrain from injuring this monk, especially in front of Rin, who, he notes, has stiffened slightly at the obvious suggestion in the monk's tone. He isn't sure if she has stiffened because she does not relish the idea of mating with him in the physical sense, or if it is because she is unsure of  _his_  feelings regarding the matter, but it is fairly obvious that she is uncomfortable with speaking of it publicly.

"And why is that?"

He has forced the question out, and truly, he  _would_  like the answer, as he would have thought a monk would be the last person to encourage pre-marital mating practices among humans.

"It is my understanding that youkai mating is by far the more… _binding_  ritual, and it is not unheard of for youkai to 'marry' human women only to get them into the futon, and then dismiss them, claiming that the marriage means nothing, and because they are not marked, there are no binding ties."

_As if_ _**this** _ _monk has any right to speak on such a matter…_

He grudgingly gives him credit though, the monk has realized by now that inuyoukai do not  _always_  mate for life. They can 'mate' without being 'mated,' that is to say that the female is not always 'marked' by the male. It was the situation with Inuyasha's mother, and even his own, and his Chichi-ue.

His father was a great leader, a brilliant general, but a philanderer and a bit of a lecher in his personal life. He refused to mark either of his females and Sesshomaru would not be surprised if there had been more than two. Perhaps someday he will find another sibling somewhere along his path. That the possibility is there, he's sure of.

He is effectively trapped. He could choose to be offended, and kill the monk outright, however, that would not serve his purposes, and there would be no other to perform the ceremony. He could choose to argue with the monk but it is beneath him and he knows he won't. He needs this monk and the damned houshi knows it. There is more than just a hint of annoyance in his stance now and Rin's breath has caught in her throat at the not-so-subtle insult the monk has thrown his way.

He  _will_  prove himself the better in this situation.

"Agreed, then. When next we come to you, three days from now, Rin will be marked, and you  _will_  perform the ceremony, with  _no_  further delays."

He is almost ready to give up on his annoyance, but then the monk nods and… _winks_  at him, before he walks away. He forces himself to breathe through only his nose as a way to stave off the impending growl.

Rin has no doubt noticed his anger and frustration and now that the monk is gone, he must be certain she knows it will not be directed at her. He feels her small hand on his forearm, breaking him from his stance, as she puts gentle pressure on it, asking wordlessly for him to look at her.

He turns slowly to her and she is looking up at him, obviously searching for the invisible clues that she uses to read him so well.

"It's alright, Sesshomaru-sa-, Sesshomaru."

Her voice is so sweet, and she seems so certain of him, that, even if the monk's doubt had been genuine, he knows it has not poisoned her against him in the least.

"There will be no dishonor in it." He means to reassure her, to let her know that  _his_  ceremony is just as  _official_  as the 'human' one. To a youkai it is all that is needed to bind them and make her position in his life irrefutable.

She laughs and raises a brow to him; playful and soothing. She is so free in ways he can never be…

"Sesshomaru," he enjoys that his name is coming to her more naturally already,

"I don't give a  _DAMN_  about what anyone else has to say. I only care what  _you_  think of me, not these other… _humans_."

He can't help but be surprised at her swearing. She seems so grown up in that moment, but just as quickly she reverts back to her childish giddy laughter, before pulling him down to her, in yet another familiar gesture. She wishes to whisper in his ear.

*888 Flashback 888*

_The soon to be twelve year old girl sat in his lap, smiling at him. He frowned at her, not understanding why she was so happy. She waved him closer, and he leaned in, surprised that she leaned in even further, decreasing the space between them._

" _Sesshomaru-sama… Rin has a secret!"_

_He quirked his brow at her, but allowed her to lean in and place her mouth near his ear, and whisper to him, in her giddy child's voice,_

" _Rin thinks you're handsome and she likes your hair!" She pulled back quickly, blushing, and afraid to look into his eyes, as if she had just told him something very embarrassing._

_It was… strange. He'd never thought of his physical appearance as… pleasing… before, least of all to a human._

_By youkai standards he wasn't attractive per se, although he was far from hideous, he had many shortcomings in the 'looks' department._

_He lacked the broad shoulders of his father, favoring his mother's slight build instead. He was on the thin side, lacking the ability to build bulky muscles, no matter how hard he trained. His thin physique made even more noticeable because of his height. His jaw line was not 'square' as was the preferred 'look' for a male, and his facial structure is…feminine, to say the least._

_In fact, to youkai, for whom physical appearance was primarily a way to tell genetic fitness to mate, he was most definitely… lacking._

_He wasn't 'handsome' no… he was…_ _**pretty** _ _._

_He looked like a female._

_He knew it, and there was no sense denying it. He'd been mistaken for a bitch often enough by humans and youkai with weak noses._

_He regarded the girl in his lap seriously, thinking over her words._ _**She** _ _had called him…_ _**handsome** _ _. He was fairly certain she was the first to do so. Even the wind whore hadn't complimented his appearance, choosing instead to dwell upon his strength._

_He snorted and placed his hand on the top of Rin's head, smoothing down the still somewhat wild dark strands._

" _Thank you, Rin."_

_He accepted the compliment, without offering one of his own in return, but as always, it was enough for the tousle-headed girl that he had not rebuked her._

_She looked up shyly and smiled, nestling into him, sighing and falling asleep. He'd soon have to carry her back to the hut and the old miko._

_As soon as he thought of that task, he realized as much as he knew he had to…_

_He didn't_ _**want** _ _to leave._

*888 End Flashback 888*

He leaned down, and Rin whispered to him,

" _I'm_ really  _glad_  we won't have to wait…"

How could she say something so provocative and sound so damn innocent at the same time? His eyebrows hit his bangs and his jaw went slightly slack, though he forced his mouth not to open.

She pulled back, in a mirror reaction of her actions four years ago, this time, however, he reacted differently. He pulled her close, and whispered back to her,

"As is this Sesshomaru…" He inwardly winced at his formal language, realizing at once that it was because he was uncomfortable with the subject that he had reverted to using it in the girl's presence, and surely she would pick up on this.

She must have, for she reached for his hand and gave it an affectionate squeeze which he returned, carefully. He is never more acutely aware of his own strength than when he is handling the girl. The thought makes him even more nervous about mating with her,  _but_ , he wants to share his first time with her so  _badly_ , that even his fears won't hold him back. He will simply have to be… _careful_ … with her.

They have returned to his brother's hut and it is quickly decided that Rin will stay there for the night, looking over the gifts his mother has sent. He will take Ah-Un and mark an area with his scent where the obedient dragon will no doubt stay and await his return.

He is glad to have the night to himself as it would afford him the opportunity to speak to his half-brother, once he returns near sunset.

He seeks to lessen the sting of his perceived hypocrisy by having a… conversation with the hanyou. He may also take the opportunity to seek advice. Yes, for Rin's sake, he will ask his brother to relay to him what he knows of human women and…mating.

There would be far  _more_  shame to be had in failing her, whether it be in failing to please her, or the gods forbid, accidentally hurting her, than in asking for counsel. He convinces himself of this, justifying it in his mind, willing himself to accept the idea that it  _must_  be done, and dredging up the fortitude to go through with it.

The other question was…  _where?_

He refuses to allow Rin's - _and his_ \- 'first time' to happen in the woods on cold hard ground with dirt and grass and bugs and animals surrounding them. No. There is a  _proper_ way to do things and that is his intent.

There would be candles, blankets, and a comfortable futon. There would be walls around them and privacy screens to shield them. There would be tatami mats and breakfast and a place to bathe properly when all was said and done. It would not do to walk around smelling like the monk, after all.

The shiro, he intended to live in with Rin, was far too far away, so that left him with only one option – the inn at the village. However, he did not want other  _humans_  in the rooms next to him, hearing him and his  _ **anata,**_ _(yes, the phrase is still pleasing to him),_ mating, or anyone else at breakfast with him the next morning.

No… He would rent out the  _entire_  inn, every last room, for the next five days, allowing two days before the wedding, the day of the wedding, and two days after.

His Rin deserved it.


	9. Wait No Longer

Hours and one highly uncomfortable conversation with a human innkeeper later, the hanyou has returned, and he is looking at Sesshomaru with a questioning look on his face. He dreads this. He hates this. He  _must_  do this…

"Did you really rent out the entire inn?"

Of course Inuyasha would lack any sort of tact…  _of course_.

He chooses not to answer. He chooses also not to think of how the hanyou has already received word of his actions, as he was hoping to be discreet. Never mind that now, He is unsure of how good human hearing is, and it would not do for Rin to over hear this conversation he must have with his otouto.

"Otouto, walk with me." For once he has not said the term for younger brother with any disgust, or condescension in his tone, and the hanyou looks perplexed at this development. He forces himself to breathe deeply, and to maintain his pace, refusing to speak until he is far enough away from the two women in the hut, that he is more than sure they will not hear him.

_This is a private matter._

Once he is beneath a fairly large tree, he seeks to set the hanyou at ease, and he draws his sword, but before Inuyasha can react he plants it in the ground, several feet from his person, before moving back to sit under the tree. He fakes a leisurely pose, bending one leg and resting the elbow of his poisonous arm on top of it. He notes the hanyou is even more confused by these actions than he would be if Sesshomaru had blindly and without cause attacked him.

"Sit."

The command makes his brother flinch, and he doesn't understand at all why. Then a vague memory floats to the surface of a young miko in strange clothing running and screaming towards a Sou'ounga possessed Inuyasha screaming, 'Sit,' repeatedly at the top of her lungs. His eyes flick to the beads still around the hanyou's neck. It sickens him that his brother, who was once sealed to a tree by a miko, now allows another miko to keep him subjugated.

Before he can comment on it, the hanyou, who must have noticed the movement of his eyes, attempts to explain,

"I want them there. I need them, in case I transform… She don't use 'em for 'punishment' anymore, just to keep everyone around me safe."

He has to admit that his brother's explanation certainly makes sense, and he understands now that perhaps the beads  _are_  a necessity. A horrifying thought occurs to him then…

_What of the offspring of this Sesshomaru?_

He is now more powerful than his late Lord Father, and his offspring may have similar 'problems' with transformation as Inuyasha. He looks at his brother's hip and at the sword which binds his demon blood and keeps him sane. Unconsciously, his tongue probes his own fangs, and he knows then that he will have to make sure to pay Totosai a visit in the near future, yet another task he does not relish the idea of completing.

With a nod to signify his understanding, he repeats his command, but uses slightly different language, "

Inuyasha, take a seat." This time there is no reflexive flinch and he watches his half-breed of a brother fall gracelessly to the ground, sitting cross legged, and obviously waiting for him to continue speaking. After only a moment taken to a

"I intend to mate Rin."

The lack of surprise in his brother's face succeeds in irritating him. Has he been that obvious in his affections and if so, for how long?

"Yeah, what do you want me to say about it, since when did you need my permission to do anything?"

Sesshomaru forces himself to  _BREATHE_. He must remind himself that Inuyasha did not have the benefit of a proper upbringing and his lack of manners and decorum is not his fault. If anything, at least partial blame for the way the half-breed acts could be placed squarely on Sesshomaru's shoulders. As the new alpha, when his father died, it was his responsibility to look after the pack, to raise the pups, or pup as it were. Instead, he cast both his bastard hanyou brother and the human beta female out, leaving them to their own devices. She was a princess he'd reasoned. Surely her family had another shiro somewhere?

Yes, there was another shiro and she had taken her bastard there to live. The two were fine, he'd at least made sure of that, until the time he'd come to check on them and they had simply not been there. The woman had died, they told him, and the vile  _humans_  had cast the hanyou out, leaving him to his own devices, to spend his already wretched life as an outcast, wandering the woods alone.

Sesshomaru had searched for days, not knowing what to do now. He hated that little bastard and all he stood for. He hated even more his father for dying, and leaving him with this responsibility, but he  _did search._

He never found him. His scent had been washed away by the rain and eventually he'd simply given up. He assumed the pup was dead; no child could survive alone in the youkai infested forests. He had not mourned the loss and was actually quite relieved to be free of his burden. He had much to worry about, his father's enemies were coming for him, and the sword he'd so coveted was nowhere to be found. He had only Tenseiga and his claws to fight the battles which were on his doorstep.

In truth, he was too young to rule, being still a pup himself. Only when he'd willingly handed his mantle to his mother were the other lords satisfied and pacified enough to cease their never ending assaults upon his person.

 _Until he matured._  They'd said…

Now, with nothing left to do, no real responsibility to be had, he grew bored with life at the shiro in the clouds and had taken to wandering. He 'patrolled' his territories endlessly, seeking battles with stronger youkai, gathering power so that one day he might take his rightful place on the throne his mother was currently occupying.

Now, more than ever before, he was grateful that he was not expected to actively rule. It would give him time to just  _be_  with Rin and to train her in what would become her duties as Lady of the Western Lands. As of now, her only duty was to lay with him and produce as many new pack members as possible.

Speaking of that…

"Then, if you have no objection to my decision, perhaps you will provide this Sesshomaru with… counsel… regarding the matter."

The hanyou gaped at him comically, but he was not amused; this was serious. He suddenly doubted the wisdom of asking the hanyou _anything_  much less for information regarding  _females_ , never the less…

"You want  _me_  to give  _you_  advice? What the hell do  _you_  need advice on?"

 _Speak_ , he commanded himself. For  _Rin,_ you will SPEAK.

"Mating."

There, he'd said it.

III~*~III

Kagome and Rin were busy unpacking the two trunks which were overflowing with silks, combs, incense, spices, sake, and countless other giftss.

One wooded box caught Rin's attention especially and she moved to open it. Inside was the most beautiful white silk she had ever seen. Upon removing it from the box, she realized that it was layer after layer of perfectly white silk, all save for the patterns at the left shoulder and at the sleeves and bottom hems.

Her wedding robes. An uchikake fit for the daughter of the emperor himself, but bearing the crest of the House of the West.

III~*~III

"My tongue?" He knew he had repeated himself, but…

"Yep… they go  _crazy_ for that, and lemme tell you… there is NO better scent anywhere on earth… or taste for that matter."

The hanyou seems so sure that this is what Rin will enjoy and he hopes that proves to be the case, because he knows not what else to do, but to take his brother's advice. He is now very glad indeed that he chose to bring this up now,  _before_  he got into the actual situation, alone with his intended, completely unprepared.

He would have never thought of such acts to perform on a female's body on his own. Left to his own devices, he now seriously doubted Rin would have found any pleasure in the experiences, so clinical and basic was the knowledge imparted to him by his tutors, who cared for nothing for teaching him to give a female pleasure, but instead focused on teaching him only to sire heirs.

For this moment and this moment only he is only too accepting of Inuyasha being both  _alive_  and his  _brother._  He is certain the feeling of camaraderie will fade soon, but for this single moment, he actually thinks they are…  _bonding._

His father would be proud of him… of  _them._

He still hates it. Some things will simply not change, not in a single conversation anyway.

"And I am to do this at the same time my fingers are…?"

He is completely aware that he is gaping like an idiot, abandoning all hopes of remaining stoic he can't help it. His only pride is that he has managed, throughout this entire awkward conversation,  _not_  to blush.

This is going to be much more complicated than he originally thought it would be…

"Yep, just make sure to clip your claws first, human skin is pretty weak."

III~*~III

Rin was crying, Kagome was 'squeeeing,' and the hut was covered in silks and random items were strewn all over the place, leaving quite a mess indeed. The two males entered, both taken aback at the chaotic scene in front of them.

"Where's the pups?" Inuyasha hadn't seen his pups all day and he was wondering where they were now that it was dark out and they didn't seem to be home.

Rin answered, as Kagome blushed at the mess she had let her home become and quickly moved to begin to pack things away back in their respective boxes, "Sango took them when she saw what a mess we've made of things here." Rin's tears are drying and a genuine giggle escaped her as she too stood up to help clean.

Before he can say another word, she runs up to him and throws her arms around him. He is perplexed, what has he done but walk in the door?

"Sesshomaru, thank you so much!"

Is she thanking him for the gifts? Did he not explain that they were from his mother? Only the uchikake was made on his orders and to his specifications.

She looks up at him and he merely quirks an eyebrow at her but it is enough for her to understand his unspoken question. Rin nods towards the direction of the box which once again holds the layers of wedding kimono he had made for her.

"For the uchikake! It's so beautiful! I really don't deserve it…"

He scoffs. As if he would allow his intended to be married in the rags available in the village.

_Absolutely not!_

"Rin." He says nothing but her name, but the girl responds as if he's completed what he's thinking out loud.

"I know, I'm sorry… I'm just not... used to all this yet. I sometimes…" She blushes. "I sometimes forget your status."

She forgets his status? She never fails to show him proper respect. She always used the honorific with his name. What does she mean?

For a moment he thinks to be insulted, but then he realizes the girl loves…  _him._  Not his position, not his power, not what he can do for her, the things he can buy for her, or the way she will, unquestionably, live well while mated to him. No. The girl cares only for  _him._  Not Sesshomaru-sama, Taiyoukai, Lord of the Western Lands, current Inu-no-Taisho, One True Son and Heir of Touga before him, Aristocratic Assassin and Master of All He Surveys or any of the other meaningless titles bestowed upon him by those seeking favor by way of flattery; _ignorant fools_.

No, for  _her_  he is simply 'Sesshomaru' or - as she liked to mutter in her sleep as a child while softly giggling and taking firmer possession of his mokomoko - ' _Rin's maru-sama_ …'

His face softens at the memory for a moment but he quickly gets down to business as is his way.

"Rin, I will allow you tonight to-" He quickly makes a sweep of the devastation the two females have wrought inside the tiny hut, "- _pack_. I will be at the inn in the village. Tomorrow, I will come to collect you and your belongings, and you will stay with me there until we depart from this place."

At his mention that he is staying at the inn Rin's eyebrows shoot up but as he continues, getting to the part about staying with him, she blushes and lowers her eyes, nodding mutely, before finally releasing her arms from about his waist.

He glances to his brother and his brother's mate, before grabbing Rin's hand, and leading her outside. He will not allow anyone else to witness his intended actions.

Once outside, on the side of the hut so if someone were to walk outside he and Rin will not be in immediate view, he places his hand on Rin's cheek. She tilts her head to the side and before he can back out or think better of his actions and now that he knows that he doesn't have to wait, he places his lips over hers.

Far from being surprised, the girl responds eagerly. She parts her lips before he does, reaching out with her small tongue to graze his lower lip. He opens his mouth slightly and carefully presses his tongue to hers.

For a moment he is unsure of what to think of the new sensations but once he gets the barest hint of her sweet taste,  _minty_ , he thinks he is lost. Instinct takes over and he opens fully to her. He dominates the kiss, despite his inexperience, and relishes the joy of exploring her this way.

He makes long slow sweeps of the moist delicious cavern of her mouth, swirling and plunging in a mimic of the movements he brother has told him to make on with his tongue on  _other_  parts of her. The thought of that suddenly drives him deeper, and he feels himself harden beneath his hakama as the girl's scent takes on a new and completely different layer. One which he has smelled small hints of on her before but nothing like this now. No, this is  _musk_ , this is… _arousal_ , and this is… _driving him mindless with his own desire._

He knows his brother was not inaccurate when he said there was no better scent in the world than a female which is aroused with want of _you_  and only  _you_. He knows his brother was also not mistaken when he said the compulsion would be overwhelming…

 _He_ _ **must**_   _taste the source of this scent. He must taste_ _ **her. There.**_

_**He MUST taste her THERE!** _

He pulls back, before he can be lost to the erection he knows will soon become painful. He wishes to take his time with her tonight, and it will not due to become hasty because of his own needs. Her needs and pleasures  _must_  and  _always will_  come first. It is the way an alpha male _should_  treat his most honored bitch.

An alpha runs the pack,  _but,_  his bitch runs  _him._  It is how it always has been and how it always will be and Rin and Rin alone will have the power to command him.

He breathes against her mouth, speaking against her lips, "Rin."

The girl seems equally effected, and she's panting, and her eyes are unfocused. He knows then that she  _wants him._

She wants him, and it is him she shall have… tonight.

She isn't blushing so much as she is flushed and he can hear her heart beating away in her chest like a wild thing that has been caged. His own heartj is not so very far behind hers and he knows in that instance he can wait no longer.

"Wait here…" she breathes.

Never has she commanded him to do  _anything_  before, but he is reduced now to a basic and primal level, left helpless to do anything but obey. Her new role in his life dictates that it be animalistic and instinctual that he act this way towards her and only her. She is  _his_ bitch, but he is also  _her_  alpha male, and  _she_  has made a demand of him, that he can do no other but to fulfill.

She has left no room for argument and he is in no position to argue. His most honored bitch has spoken of her want for the pleasures he so desperately and instinctually seeks to be  _ **allowed**_  to give to her, and, as is the way of inuyoukai males and females,

She may  _want_  him, but, tonight, and always, he will  _need_  her.

Once again, he admits, if only to himself,

_Her power over him is absolute._

His raging hormones and hyper-driven and recently awakened mating instincts have reduced his inner dialog to two words:

_Mine. Tonight. Mine. Tonight._

III~*~III

Rin made her way around to the front of the hut, completely unaware of her effect on her lord's deepest instincts and most primal needs, all she knew was that, now that she didn't  _have to_ , she didn't  _want to_  wait to be with him, she had waited long enough, in her opinion. She pulled back the bamboo door covering, leaning her head inside. Suddenly she was embarrassed, but her need to be with the one she'd waited for so long to call her own gives her the courage speak her intentions. Luckily, it doesn't seem she needs to explain much, as her scent is giving her away.

"Uhhhh… Kagome-chan?"

She notices the knowing look that passed between the miko and her hanyou husband, who Rin has no doubt can smell the arousal on her a mile away. She's worked up and there is no hiding it from his senses.

Kagome laughs, giving her a wink in the process.

"Just go. I'll clean this all up and besides, it'll be waiting here for you tomorrow." Rin nods rapidly and, in all honestly a bit to eagerly to be considered lady like, but she has been waiting for  _so long_  for him that she cannot bring herself to care.

She comes around the corner and grabs the hand of her  _very_   _worked up_  inu-taiyoukai, her husband to be, and gives him a knowing look and light squeeze.

"Let's go."

III~*~III

This is the second time in five minutes that she has given him an order, but he is happy to oblige .

He is ready, he knows he is. More importantly,  _she_  is ready.

Pushing all his fears and doubts to the side, he walks ahead of her, leading the way…

To the inn…

To their new life…

To a night filled with the promise of experiencing a passion he has waited hundreds of years to feel.

He will wait  _ **no**_   _longer._

Tonight,  _she_  has decieded, she is  _ **his**_ _._


	10. At The Inn

They make their way past the huts and shops on the way to inn. He can hear the words of the curious and sometimes even horrified villagers, who are peaking out of their huts and watching them.

His mind is racing, filled with possibilities and fantasies of what this night will bring for him. His body is thrumming and he can feel his muscles undulating, as if on the edge of transformation, though he is managing, barely, to keep the whites of his eyes from bleeding to red. He forces himself not to pant and his chest not to heave, and is only able to accomplish the feat by breathing only through his nose. Rin's scent of immediate arousal is waning and his control gains ground slowly, until he can at least breathe again.

Rin seems to notice, and instead of becoming more excited she seems to be becoming paradoxically more calm. She is in direct opposition to him, and yet it steadies him, preventing him from breaking decorum, and simply hefting her against him and teleporting to the inn, regardless if it causes a village wide panic or not.

He walking a thin wire and each step he takes seems labor intensive and he must focus his perfect control to keep his steps measured and unhurried.

His control finds greater purchase though, by the fact that he is aware, at the edge of his senses of the reactions he is getting from the villagers. His sensitive ears can't help but focus on some of the rude things the villagers are saying of them. It seems that word has spread quickly of Rin's intentions to become his mate and wife.

Oddly enough he isn't insulted for himself. He could care less what these…humans feel about him. It is Rin he is concerned for. She's a 'whore' and 'Demon's bitch' and 'Dog fucker'. He wonders how much she can hear, hoping that she can't hear any of it at all.

There is a secret, deep part of himself that has the fear that at some point along this walk Rin will hear something that will strike just the right chord, or, she will notice the sheer volume of the statements against her character, and she will realize what her life will be like as a human woman mated to a taiyoukai, and… she'll back out. She'll reject him.

Until they are officially mated, she has every right to do so, regardless of his feelings for, or intentions towards, her. If that happened, after he's allowed himself to feel so much for her… he'd be… lost.

All his work would be for naught, and though he'd walk away with his head held high, he'd have to face returning home to his mother with his tail between his legs. The shame would be unbearable, and seppuku would be a more viable option that admitting this failure to his mother.

All he has is his pride and Rin, and if this mortal woman stripped him of that, and he lost her…

He inwardly shudders, refusing to think on the possibility any longer.

It is a testament to his centuries of training that has given him near-perfect control of himself and of his willingness to show restraint for the sake of Rin, that he has not killed anyone… yet. This is, however, no time to test his patience.

Suddenly his urgency to claim her is about not only physical need but also about his desire to stake his claim on her and bind them together before she can back out.

'Perhaps she is bewitched' a woman muses, loud enough for even Rin, who, while she does not have senses near as good as his, has also obviously noticed the stares and whispers, to hear. She ignores it completely, the only sign she has heard is the sigh, the rolling of her eyes, and the gentle squeeze to his hand.

He stiffens. The scent of a human female, about Rin's age, is approaching rapidly and he can hear the nervous pounding of this unknown female's heart. She stops a few feet away. She's carrying a small bundle in her hands.

"Rin!!! Stop!!! Wait a minute!!!" Rin turns, stiffening only slightly and giving him what could only be interpreted as an imploring look. Perhaps she is asking him not to kill this woman, though, she should know him better than that? Perhaps she is more aware than he originally thought of his state of mind.

"She's my friend, just let me see what she wants so we can be on our way?" Rin whispers.

He's annoyed, but the walk and the recession of the scent of Rin's immediate physical arousal grants him the patience to nod his head and release her hand, allowing her to walk to the girl she has called 'a friend'. This woman has only moments before he snaps, and Rin seems to know this too, because she makes haste.

Rin makes her way to the only slightly younger female. Obviously Rin is a little nervous, not knowing what this girl means to say to her in front of Sesshomaru, but she holds her head high and doesn't look back at him for reassurance. He is once again proud of his choice in mate. She's stronger than he sometimes gives her credit for.

"What is it, Rikasuka?" The girl must have picked up on the wary tone to her friend's voice because she smiles and extends the bundle, an immediate peace offering. The girl glances back at the imposing taiyoukai her friend has chosen to marry and, she must have heard about him before because she seems non-plussed when he fails to return her friendly smile, only turning back to Rin.

"I just heard the good news! I didn't have a lot of time to prepare my gift, but, I wanted to give you this." She extends the package in her hand to Rin.

Rin relaxes and takes the bundle.

"Thank you! You really are a true friend. Your well wishes mean a lot to me." Rin is genuine in her words, and Sesshomaru forces himself to appreciate, at least on some small level, this female's timing. She is giving Rin reassurance and confidence in her decision to mate with him at just the right moment, and allowing him more time to gain control of himself before he finds himself alone, burning with need, and with a willing female. This is not just any willing female though, and he intends to take his time… even if it kills him.

The girl glances at him again, eyeing him, taking in all the details, and he can smell her… attraction… to him. He's surprised to say the least; two human females appreciating his physical appearance? He hopes his father still has his furs, because the hells must be experiencing a blizzard.

He watches the girl pull a vial from her sleeve, and then pull Rin in to whisper to her conspiratorially,

"Now that I've finally seen him… I can't blame you for being in love with him your whole life, and going on and on about him all the time! He's very attractive – so tall… and those eyes… yummy!" The girl lowers her voice even more, she must not be aware of the futility of such an action, but Rin is blushing, knowing he's hearing the entire 'secret' conversation, "Oh, and take this," she hands Rin the vial, "my mother made it for you when she heard you were mating a demon. She says they're you-know-what's are bigger than a human's. Ask him to put some on his… you know… before you guys… do it. It'll numb you just a little bit, not too much, but it won't affect him, since he's a demon. It will help with your pain, but not stop your enjoyment, and without ruining anything for him."

Rin's face is the color of Inuyasha's firerat, but she nods and takes the vial. Although the other female is not, Rin is aware he has heard every word of their conversation. She gives the girl a hug, and a promise to visit before she leaves. He isn't sure why but he's convinced Rin intends to impart details of this night to this girl… he inwardly shakes his head. He must be paranoid. Rin would do no such thing… would she?

Deciding not to think on anything that may ruin the night, he beckons his soon to be mate. Yes, he is aware he is showing impatience, but the truth is, he is eager to move along. His posture is not the only thing that is rigid in this moment, despite his worry he is still physically aroused, and he's uncomfortable walking around in such a state, it would be highly improper for anyone to notice such a thing on his person.

"Rin."

Rin gives the girl a final wave, and joins him at his side once more.

"I'm sorry, it's just she's my best friend and she's never even seen you and I'm sure she was curious… I'm sorry you had to hear that. I didn't talk about you that much…"

He can sense the embarrassment and deception on her, but far from being angry, he is… amused. Why now, when he's stated his feelings and she has stated hers she would think he might be upset at hearing that she's spoken of her love and admiration for him, he can't understand?

He can't bring himself to answer her, speaking would cause a break in his concentration, but he squeezes her hand. It is the only way he can continue to focus himself… he must calm himself. He will take his time… he will be gentle with her. His mind fills with images of his Rin, touching him, kissing him, running her fingers through his hair, throwing her head back and baring her throat as his fangs press lightly into her tender flesh.

He gives an audible growl. Low and not at all the comforting sound Rin is used to. As soon as he feels his chest shake he cuts it off. He isn't sure if his eyes are still gold and… yummy (?)… anymore. He actually stops his progress and closes his eyes, focusing on control.

Rin has halted next to him, questions and concern in her facial features. He actually physically shakes his head, as if to clear the images from his mind. His cock throbs painfully and his lips tighten as he searches harder for some semblance of control of his body.

He forces himself into forward motion once again. He must… if he does not, he is going to scare her with his odd actions. No one, not even Rin, is immune from fear of him completely, and if she gets even an inkling of the ideas running through his mind, she will most certainly back out. No female wants to be ravaged, and roughly used their first time.

Rin must have some idea of what his problem is by now, because a blush steals its way across her nose and cheeks and her pupils dilate. She disentangles her hand from his and instead takes possession of his elbow, reaching her other arm across her body to stroke his bicep in a soothing way.

She is… petting him…

She can feel his rigid musculature beneath his layers of silk and she runs her hand over his arm, tracing the curve of his flexed muscle. She sighs and lays her head against his arm, in full view of whoever may be looking, unconcerned at others' reactions to such a gesture. Her scent takes on a hint of that wonderful desire again, and he is infinitely glad that they have finally reached their destination.

Rin must have noticed that the usually busy inn is all but deserted. Only a skeleton crew of servants and the owner remains. The vast rooms are empty, and the halls are quiet and still, exactly as he would have it.

"Where is everybody?" Rin asks quietly.

"I wished for us to be alone." He strains. She doesn't quite understand how that translates into the scene in front of her. How he was able to do this. Her questioning look is answered by the innkeeper.

"Sesshomaru-sama, we were unsure which of the rooms you've paid for you wanted prepared, or how many, so we took the liberty of preparing them all, before dismissing the staff on paid leave, just as you requested. Your only servants will be Akishira, and Aoi, the young females you requested for your… intended. Akishira will take your Lady to the dressing room and assist her out of her heavy robes and into sleeping attire, if you have no other orders?"

Sesshomaru is pleased at this development, everything has been set up exactly to his specifications, and all is well.

Yes… all is well. He tells himself this over and over, his eyes sliding to the side to look at Rin. She is here. She wants you. She will not back out. She will not reject you. She is yours… she has already said as much.

He nods his approval of the innkeepers plan. The young servant girl comes forward, and comes to her knees, reaching for the ties at the ankles of his hakama, so she can remove his shoes, before removing Rin's, as is proper. She winces when she sees his clawed toes, but does not hesitate when she brings the warm wet cloth and wipes his feet down. She dries them and is careful when placing the slippers on his feet, not to shred them on his claws. He is impatient, and when she moves to retie his hakama's ankle ties, he commands her to leave them be. She starts at his harsh tone, and even Rin seems surprised, though says nothing.

"Will you or your Lady be requiring a meal for the night?" It is already late, Rin has already eaten with his brother's miko, but this innkeeper is going very far out of his way to please the obviously very wealthy Lord who is patronizing his establishment. Demon or not, his coins are just as gold, if not more so, than any human's, and money talks. Yes, never has a human man refused to take his money.

Sesshomaru turns to Rin, who shakes her head in the negative, still slightly awed by the events unfolding before her eyes. She isn't used to this type of treatment, and it is a little overwhelming for her, but she's taking it in stride, and politely and appropriately saving any questions she has for him until they are alone.

"No. Take her to undress, and then bring her to the largest room at the far end of the inn." He makes a show of giving the air a sniff, "Also, dismiss the young human male from the grounds. I assume from his scent he is the cook, and he will not be needed until morning."

The innkeeper is obviously impressed with his senses, and nods in awe.

He goes to his room, and sits in seiza, allowing the only other servant, another young female, no older than twelve years or so to follow, though her presence is unwelcome, he refrains from growling at her. She is only doing her job, he reminds himself. He can sense her unease in his presence, and smell the scent of fear. Although it is not terror, it is still fear. He smells it spike before he hears her voice.

"My lord, will you be requiring assistance in removing your outer robes, or a bathing attendant?" It is clear from her tone she is terrified to perform for him what are common duties for one of her station. She has, doubtlessly, assisted many males in undressing, and probably been a bathing attendant for many lords and ladies in the past, however, he is youkai and it is obvious she doesn't want to touch him.

Being alone with a human female who is clearly uneasy with him, and terrified to touch him, sobers him a bit, and his control is renewed somewhat. He must remember that it would never do to elicit such a reaction from Rin, and if he moves too quickly with her, she may well become afraid to touch him as well. If he turns into a mindless, lust driven beast after a mere kiss, then how will she not fear mating with him.

The idea of Rin fearing him is a sobering thought and finally his body obeys his commands to relax, though his erection is still present, he is in far better control than he was only moments ago.

He has been undressed countless times by females, human and youkai alike, in his travels. The youkai females did as they were expected, nothing more, nothing less, and it was duty to them and nothing more. Never were there any inappropriate touches, but they did not shy from him. The human females were a different matter. They were always fearful, and made sure that nary a finger came into contact with his flesh. Only silk slipped away in their fingers, and even his hair was avoided.

Never has a human female assisted him in bathing. Despite his bulging coin purse, all had outright refused. One, he can recall, actually lost her employment over it, which was completely unnecessary, because he has always preferred to bath alone, unassisted, even in his own shiro.

"No."

His answer causes relief to wash over this young and clearly terrified girl, and her scent becomes less cloying to him. He notices that when she leaves, kneeling down and sliding the screen door to the side, before turning on her knees, bowing deeply and sliding the shoji closed, she does not leave, instead sitting in seiza in the hallway, and waiting to see if she will be needed later.

He wants to be alone, and with her there he cannot feel as if he is. Her scent and the sounds of her body are too close, so, with an inward sigh he rises, opens the door, and doesn't bother to look down at her as he tells her,

"You will not be needed again until early morning, go and rest." When she hesitates, he realizes why, and reassures her, "Your salary will be paid for the entire night." He reaches in to his haori and pulls out several coins, more than she deserves if he is honest, but he wants her to leave without any further delays or arguments. He reasons this may be the best way to go about getting her to leave quickly.

It is improper that he give her money directly, but his patience is being severely tested and he doesn't want to go back down to the innkeeper and give it to him, risking he will take a 'cut' from it or leave the girl with nothing of his 'tip'. He hands the money to her, insisting,

"Go, rest." She doesn't look up at him, as she nods and whispers her thanks for the opportunity he's given her to have a night off, although she doesn't mention the money, he knows she is really thanking him for giving it to her directly, thus making sure she receives it.

Just as the girl is leaving Rin appears in the hallway, escorted by the other servant girl. She's wearing a plain, white cotton yukata and his first thought is that she should be wearing silk. In his haste, he did not think to have her bring any of the clothing his mother commissioned, but he isn't sure there even was a bathing or sleeping yukata among the items and he realizes he will need to commission a seamstress for the girl. It is unacceptable for her to be his mate and be wearing less than silk. It would reflect poorly on him to not clothe her properly.

He looks to the young servant girl and realizes that he has shown favor for the female who was alone with him… and rumors may spread if he does not show the same favor to this female, who had no such opportunity to gain his favor. It would not do for anyone to misjudge his show of, what could inaccurately be deemed as kindness, (it was only impatience with her continued presence, he assures himself), to that female. He must be equally…kind to this female. He reaches into his purse and hands her the same amount of coins he gave to the other female, commanding once again,

"Go, and rest. You will not be needed until morning."

The girl is shocked at receiving money from him directly, but accepts it and nods, informs him a bath will be ready for them in the morning, before scurrying away like some kind of field mouse. He watches her departure with a rueful acceptance, he turns to Rin,

"They fear me." He doesn't know why he has pointed it out. He doesn't know why he felt the need to say it aloud, but the words came without his bidding. There was no hint of regret or sadness, it was merely a statement, but Rin seems to know more of why he said it than he does, and she places a comforting hand on his forearm, no hesitation in her touch.

"They don't know you." It's true, and it must be exactly what he needed to hear, because he releases a breath he didn't know he was holding. His Rin does know him, and has seen him at his most fearsome, fully transformed and battling for his life and hers, and still, not only does she not fear him, she loves him. He is not a disgusting monoke to her, not a nightmare.

He is her dream come true.

She gently guides him inside and slides the shoji shut behind them. They are alone now, but she doesn't seem nervous, in fact, there is a serenity to her, a soft almost motherly feel to her that is reassuring to him and calms his own unease. Surely they have spent much time alone together before, but tonight is different, the intentions and expectations of the night are clear to them both, but she is neither afraid nor nervous. She seems at peace and accepting. She is exactly what he needs right now, and soothing to his inner youkai.

"May I undress you?" She asks. He hesitates to respond as his eyes are watching her every graceful movement. He hasn't seen her in so little clothing since she was a small child and her curves are calling to his eyes. He's tracing every visible dip and swell beneath the light cotton covering and the loosely tied obi. He's drawn especially to the sweet sloping indentation of her waist and the smooth rounded flare of the ample spread of her hips, which are surprisingly wide for her slight frame and very narrow waist. He is also more than impressed with the very full rounded bottom he can just barely see the cleft in beneath her robe.

His cock throbs as he imagines her bent over, on all fours, with that thick firm rounded ass in his face, her dripping wetness calling to him, his hands at her hips as he drags her to him and spears himself inside her, filling her, and wrapping himself in warm wetness. Plunging endlessly deep inside of her, making her pant, feeling her back against his chest and the flesh of her shoulder between his fangs. As much as he wants to take his time with her, the animal inside wants to fuckher into submission. He wants her screaming and moaning and panting beneath him like a wild thing and he drives himself into until he fills her full and the head of cock expands and he shoots searing hot seed into her body. He wants to cover her in his scent and fill her with himself leaving her so thoroughly marked that his claim of ownership can never be disputed, even by youkai with the weakest of noses.

CALM YOURSELF! He commands himself firmly, almost roughly. He takes several deep breathes in and out through his nose. If he doesn't have her soon…

He finally comes to his senses and nods once in acceptance of her request to assist him in disrobing. What would ordinarily be an innocent task performed by a servant for a master takes on a sensual feel as she leads him to the area behind a privacy screen, despite the fact that they are alone. There are stands here to hold kimonos, haori and hakama, though she forgoes them and places her own folded kimono, which has the package from her friend and the strange vial resting on top of it, on the floor before moving to stand in front of him.

He knows she cannot touch the hilt of his demonic swords, so he removes them from his person for her, resting them on a stand which is mounted on the wall.

She reaches for the knot at his waist, and unties the yellow and blue bow to the obi which is only used to hold his swords, not hold closed his clothing. She is looking in his eyes as she does so, searching him, although for what he does not know. She carefully folds the silk as she goes, not allowing it to touch the floor, before she follows it around behind him. She tucks the folded silk in the part still around his waist and he feels her gather the thick length of his hair in her hands, taking the opportunity to run her fingers through it and tug lightly on the strands, before moving it to the side and resting it over his shoulder, allowing her access to the twist of the obi at the small of his back. At feeling her fingers in his hair his head tilts forward, seeking to increase the pleasant pressure on his scalp and a whine… not a growl escapes him.

"Shhhh…relax…" She pauses in undressing him and begins to run her hands over his lower back and slowly up and down his sides.

"You are making that difficult, Rin." His voice is breathy, his baritone strained as his need threatens him once more. Only her soothing aura and confident almost motherly actions are keeping him sane. He has waited so long. She pacifies him a moment longer before she comes around to his front again.

Then is his hakama. She knows he is not naked, and will not be 'revealed' to her when she removes them, as his under layers come to his knees, and yet, she still moves slowly and with infinite care and as she moves to untie the knot at his waist she hesitates, looking into his eyes seeking a permission that she no longer needs.

He nods slowly, silently conceding and hoping she will not stop now, which of course she does not.

He is twitching at her fingers being so close to him and his arousal is obvious to her even beneath the three layers of silk and fundoshi, but she maddeningly avoids it, perhaps not wishing to push him over the edge.

His eyes close, the sight of her, so close to him, along with the feel of her nimble fingers might just be enough to drive him over the edge and into mindlessness.

She comes back around to the front to untie the knot actually holding his pants up, and when his hakama slip to the floor, instead of stepping backwards out of them, as is traditional, he steps forward, bringing them closer. She notices this and the sides of her mouth tip upwards in a small, but warm, smile as she stay exactly where she is, keeping them close.

She continues to makes wordless, maddeningly slow circles around him, untying the various knots of his first outer layer, his kimono, obviously intent on removing each article one at a time.

While removing his kimono she makes sure to brush her finger tips over what little skin is exposed. He feels her nails graze the hairs on the back of his neck and he nearly shivers – he fights to remain rigid and allow her to explore him without interruption but her touch is driving him crazy. Her fingertips run softly underneath his sleeve against his forearm before she pulls his long sleeve to his first and intricately patterned knee length garment, which is in truth, neither true kimono nor haori, but was commissioned and designed to his specifications, to allow him to maintain his regal appearance, but be dressed appropriately for battle. He allows it to fall first one side and then the other as she makes her way behind him once again running her fingers from his shoulder to his bicep before coaxing the silk to slip down over his back and into her waiting hands. She hangs it on the stand, and comes around to his front again.

He has only two layers left, the next of which is a kosode with two belts, one at his ribs, and one at the top of his waist. She moves around him untying them both, letting her fingers trace around the barrel of his chest, her fingers feeling the taught musculature and hard planes of his body, before folding the strips of silk and setting them to the side. Most wonderfully of all her small hands flatten against the center of his chest before she slips the tips of her fingers under the 'V' shaped neckline of his final outer layer and the full expanse of her smooth palms comes into contact with the innermost layer of his silks as she runs her hands up and out over his pectoral muscles, his collar bones, and she is forced to lean in closer as her hands make their way over him to his shoulder blades, almost embracing him.

Never has he been undressed in this manner, with a female daring to touch him so freely, and taking such time and pleasure from the experience. It is clear by the soft, reverent look in her eyes that she is carving each of his muscles, dips and ripples, into her memory. She is relishing each touch, every contact point of their bodies, as much as he is. She is slow, and soft and intimate in her attentions, and he may be standing still and silent but he's looking down into her dilated pupils and he knows his eyes are showing his own desire.

With her finally close enough to him that she is on tip toes to reach behind him, and the tips of her nipples brush against his chest, and they harden against his chest, he finds it impossible to stand still and passive against her attentions any longer. Her thumbs dig in to the hallows near his collar bone as her fingers tighten and she makes a small *squeek* of surprise as he lets the silken layer fall forgotten to the floor and drags her body against his.

He growls softly, sending vibrations through her body, and causing a shiver of delight and further hardening of her nipples.

"Rin." He growls.

Her breathing increases and she looks up at him,

"Ummm… Maybe we should lay down?" she suggests moving away from him, she stops on her way to the futon at the small table against the wall, and takes two chopsticks off of it, using them to twist her hair up into a loose style and pinning it in place. It is highly inappropriate that she do so, and she notices the disapproving glare being sent her way. She then grabs the small vial from her friend, she knows he will not last much longer, before his need gives way and in his current state she thinks it is not such a terrible idea to have a pain reducing agent handy. She responds, over her shoulder,

"Well I don't have any of my combs with me, and I don't want my hair in the way! Besides, there is no one here to see me but you!"

The glare turns to acceptance and then sparkles with amusement only she can see. He deadpans, in his most serious tone,

"This Sesshomaru is merely concerned the other humans will think I mean to eat you. It has been the assumption on more than one occasion."

Rin breaks out into a full smile then, knowing that, while what he says is true, both humans and demons alike have more than once mistook her for a snack, he is, once again…teasing. Rarely is he ever in such a good mood, and only ever with her, when they are alone.

*Flash back*

Thirteen year old Rin looked at him in amazement. Never, in all the time she'd known him had his stomach…growled. He was…hungry???

She giggled while he looked away, attempting to be bored with her and failing miserably.

"Sesshomaru-sama! Your stomach just growled! When was the last time you ate?"

In truth it had been many weeks since his last meal, he was recently… disturbed and had forgotten to eat for quite some time.

He was only beginning to have those feelings for Rin, and, after his last visit, he'd had - quite an elicit - dream about the girl. It had disturbed him so much he'd spent the last several weeks obsessing over it. He'd refused to sleep, and hadn't eaten. When the time came for his next scheduled visit with Rin, he had had to talk himself into it, thinking on how she would 'worry' and be 'disappointed' if he failed to show. Now that he was back in the presence of the object of his obsession it was both wonderful and horrible as she remained blissfully unaware of his secret.

He looked at her then,

"You are correct, this Sesshomaru has neglected his own needs as of late. Perhaps you might know a local village child who would not be missed?"

She'd looked at him stupidly for a full minute, before breaking out laughing so hard she rolled on the forest floor and got dirt and leaves all over the new silk kimono he had brought to her. Oddly enough, he could not even find it within himself to be annoyed at her childish behavior.

"Sesshomaru-sama! You're funny when you joke! You should do it more often! But seriously… if you're hungry… there's this one girl… her name is Tsuki and I hate her! She's so mean and she calls me names and pulls my hair all the time. You can eat her if you want, Rin won't mind!" The girl continued to smile as she looked up at him from the ground.

The corner of his lip lifted minutely. Her response was pleasing to him, though he wasn't sure why, he'd been concerned. The moment he realized his sarcastic response to her insistent prodding over the state of his health, he had regretted it, fearing he may finally have frightened her.

Of course, she'd only laughed.

Sesshomaru-sama didn't eat human food, or humans for food… at least not anymore.

*End Flashback*

Rin scoffs at him, and replies back, just as seriously,

"Sesshomaru, obviously you know nothing about youkia. They are animals and certainly do not use chopsticks. They rip limbs from still living humans and force the poor victims to watch as they rip the flesh from bones with only their fangs… honestly… don't you know anything?"

She says all this while slowly sauntering to the futon, and he ignores her little joke, his tension growing the closer she gets to the place where he is to claim her. He silently follows behind her like some sort of lost puppy dog, silent questions and fears racing through his mind.

It is time.

She lays down on the futon rolled on her side, and pats the side next to her. He starts, realizing he is only staring down at her stupidly. A quick nod of acknowledgement and he lies down next to her, mirroring her position. She scoots closer to him bringing her hand up to his cheek, running her thumb over his cheek stripes.

He reaches for the tie at his waist, and loosens it, pulling his final layer over his shoulder, lifting up slightly and shrugging out of it. He watches as her gaze drifts downward, her eyes burning a path across his chest, and down his abdominals. Just as she comes to rest on his hips, she pauses, letting her hand travel down his side. She has never before seen the violet stripes that adorn his hip bones and she seems fascinated with them. She runs her fingers lightly over the vivid markings, watching in awe as he indulges her and allows his youkai to surface only slightly, making them go jagged under her touch.

When he decides he can take no more of her explorations, he finally reaches forward, for the tie at her waist.

"May I?" The girl nods her assent, and he purposely keeps his eyes glued to the tie as he undoes it, and she shrugs the shoulder of her garmet down, revealing a breast.

He notices her tension as he carefully peals back the layer and tosses it gently over her hip. The rest of the garment pools to the futon, leaving her bare but for the arm she is resting on.

His eyes sweep over her, and he's hot and hungry. He races to come up with words to describe her. She is… ample. The best word for it. Not fat, but very short and very rounded. She has thick hips, meaty soft thighs, large for her frame breasts, with dark nipples. The contrast between the tiny expanse that is her waist and the almost cartoonishly pronounced flare of her hips pleases him greatly. She is the type of woman who's body was made for childbearing. He loves that he cannot see a single rib or bone anywhere. She has been well fed, and her entire body pronounces wordlessly of her fertility.

Soft.

She is so soft and thick and voluptuous. He remembers once that she had bemoaned the fact that, no matter how hard she practiced or trained (from what his brother has told him she's actually quite good with both a sword and a bow, as well as throwing daggers) she could never have the lithe, well muscled form of her trainers, the female tijiya and his brother's miko.

He is grateful for it. Her form is perfect to his eyes.

He wants to touch all of her at once, and his indecision on where to put his hands first leaves him immobile for long moments. He's never been in this position before, with a female who will not only allow his touch, but welcome it, and he finds it overwhelming. The freedom to do as he pleases with her is making his head spin. What to do first?

"Uhhh… Sesshomaru?" His Rin is becoming more and more nervous under the weight of his prolonged gaze, but he was so lost that he didn't notice. His head snaps up to her face when he hears her voice, embarrassed to be caught staring. He thinks back to if he's ever seen a woman totally naked before? Hmmm perhaps when he was younger and spied on some of his female servants bathing, but never anyone who knew that he was looking.

In answer to her unasked question he reaches out and pulls her face to him. She gasps as his mouth comes to hers, and there is no pretense of hesitation in his kiss now. He forgets to be mindful of his fangs and they graze her lower lip, drawing a minute amount of blood, but she ignores it and slides her hands to back of his neck.

He, on the other hand, pulls back, horrified at what he's done. The night has barely begun and he has…harmed her. He's breathing heavily, and he looks away, shamed by his lack of control. This more than anything sobers him. He lost control, for even a moment, and it was Rin who paid the price.

"Rin… this Sesshomaru… I…"

She grabs his face, forcing his eyes to hers, and once again running her thumb pads against his cheek stripes.

"Don't be." She responds as if he's said he's sorry, which he is, but he hasn't. With her he hasn't needed to. She knows.

She pulls him down and roughly and shoves her tongue in his mouth deeply and forcefully. She's seeking to make him forget his 'transgression' by telling him without words that she doesn't care, and she wants him and nothing can change that.

He moans in absolute delight at her slight domination of him, as it shows just how badly she wants him.

Never has he been wanted before, and it is an overwhelming sensation, even for him. Rather than the wave of arrogance he should naturally feel at being so desired, he finds himself… humbled for some unknown reason. He wants to justify her want of him and give her pleasures that leave her as mindless as she's leaving him. It may be an impossible goal for him, in his current state… she is… more than his senses can handle.

Her minty flavor and the cloud of musky perfumed air surrounds him, engulfs him, and she succeeds in her attempt to pacify his ego and assuage his guilt, if only because he's driven to mindless distraction.

He rolls himself on top of her and props himself up on his elbows, she instinctively spreads her legs to allow him a place to settle. He can feel the texture of the hair at the apex of her thighs against the silk fundoshi he's still wearing. He grinds into her unconsciously and she moans into the kiss, the sweet friction driving them both on.

He moves his mouth to her throat, lapping at the taste of her salted skin like the dog he is. He hears each keening whine from her throat as she tilts her head to allow him better access.

"My ear…" she whispers as quietly as she can while still articulating, mindful of his hearing, "nibble on my ear…"

Already she's voicing what she'd like him to do, and he's both relieved and grateful at her lack of shyness. He needs the instruction, and she's giving it to him without his having to ask for it. Perhaps she has realized his inexperience with mating or perhaps she only thinks he doesn't know much about human women, but either way, he knows he must admit his virginity to her at some point this night, it will only be fair to her, to know of his inexperience. He wonders if she'll think less of him for it?

He moves to her ear to follow her instructions, but somehow, miraculously finds the clarity of thought to remind her,

"Rin, my fangs." He's whispering, and panting, and though to anyone else his voice would sound as if he is impassive and simply observing that he does, in fact, have fangs, she can hear the question and concern in his voice.

She tugs his hair hard enough to send the message and her hips still, as do his. He pulls back to look at her, his expression soft, his worry etched in his eyebrows and the downward turn to his lips. What she says next manages to allay many of his worries,

"Sesshomaru, I'm going to say this one time this night… I am not afraid to be with you and, I will not break if you're a bit rough with me. Even humans bite and scratch and bleed and scream and howl… it's natural. You're a demon, I don't expect you to be overly gentle and I'll be okay. Just please, relax, and stop holding back so much koibito!" She whispers fervently, begging him to enjoy himself and not to worry so much on her behalf.

Koibito… she has called him… koibito. Her lover.

"Now," she giggles, breaking the nervous tension, "nibble on my weak human ears with your big scary demon fangs!" He gives her a predatory smirk, allowing himself to relax at her pleadings and bends forward, giving her a peck on her lips.

"If that is your wish, I shall be obligated to fulfill it." He bends his mouth to her ear, going to work, still careful, but infinitely more confident in his actions.

Within minutes the two are lost in each other once more, he is nibbling and lapping and tracing the shell of her ear with his lips and tongue and fangs. His hips are grinding against her once again and she has tilted her pelvis upwards pressing herself against him to meet each rotation.

The sensations prickling along his shaft, even against the silk are building so quickly he can't control it. He's so incredibly hard and he can feel the pre-cum leaking from the tip of his fully engorged member. He has to stop now or he will release, before he ever gets anywhere near being inside of her.

Sliding his body down, moving his hips safely out of reach of her tourtourous movements against him, he brings his lips to one dark nipple. He closes his mouth around the tiny bud, worrying it with his teeth cautiously for a moment before pulling back to admire his work.

Rin's back has arched, pushing her body towards him, and he takes the silent invitation to heart, his hands coming up to encompass her soft round mounds and push them together. He goes back and forth, giving intimate attention to each nipple, as the girl beneath him squirms and moans and sighs under his still somewhat awkward ministrations.

While she is making the most delightful noises, she has yet to actually articulate any verbal praise and he wonders self consciously if he's pleasing her correctly, deciding to be direct he asks,

"Does this… please you?"

Her hands move to trace the shell of his pointed ears, sending shivers from the top of his head all along the length of his spine, and goosebumps rise on his skin.

"hai… it feels wonderful, anata." He allows himself a small smile of satisfaction at her words, smirking against her heated and flushed skin. He finally decides after a long moment more to continue onward in his task, and he slide down her body further, stopping to graze the underside of her breast with his fang, just for good measure.

He sees her shiver at that, and mentally catalogs the move for future endevors.

His tongue comes out to drag down the expanse of her midsection, pausing at her belly buttion to swirl and dip. He notices her slight giggle and looks up in question,

"Your fur," she giggles a bit more, "it's tickling my thigh."

He looks down to see that his mokomoko has unconsciously wrapped itself around the girl's thigh and is stroking lightly. He hadn't even noticed.

He immediately pulls it back, and the girl gives a small pout.

"I was… kind of enjoying that…" she pouts further.

He replaces the fur and this time purposefully moves its length up and down her outer thigh, feeling her leg fall open towards the unique touch. He'd been consciously attempting to keep his fur out of the way, behind him or off to the side, and away from the girl's body, as the inhuman touch may have seemed… odd to her, but it seems she enjoys this part of his body as much as every other part. An idea strikes him then…

He disengages mokomoko from her thigh and sends it trailing upwards, over her stomach and to her breasts. He allows the tip of it to twitch and writhe across her sensitive nipples and breasts, and her hands come up to stoke his sensitive demon appendage. He can feel each pass of her small fingers through the soft fur as she clutches it to her chest.

"Ummmmmmmm." She moans and her legs come up to rub at his sides, silky friction across his skin, raising his goose bumps anew.

While he has her distracted with mokomoko, he continues his journey southward towards the source of her ever building scent… the one he simply must get a taste of.


	11. The Main Event

Reaching her nest of curls, he brought his arms down, gripping each of her thighs. He laid them over his shoulders as he lowered his chest to floor. When he had positioned her legs just so, he brought his thumbs up between them, spreading her nether lips, while pulling her apart gently, allowing him to gaze upon her sex.

_Mine… all mine…_

He surveyed her body with hungry eyes and a predatory smirk. This was  _his_ …  _She_  was  _his;_  to enjoy, to touch, to scent, to taste, to fill, and pump and hump and push his aching arousal into.

 _Whenever I please_ …

Yes, whenever he desired, provided she indicated she was willing, however he hoped she might more than simply oblige him. He wanted her not  _merely willing,_ but also  _eager_  for his touch. He wanted  _her_  to want  _him_  as well, and he was certain if his performance tonight was satisfactory, that that would be the case. She would  _desire_  to lay with him, no mate of his would look upon their couplings as merely  _duty_  or _obligation_ ; no, his mate would  _crave_  him, as much as he  _craved_  her.

Never again would he feel the stinging shame of pumping himself into his own hand as he fantasized about having a female, knowing full well that there were no potential mates in his immediate future. He would not taste the bitter bile that always came with the realization that he was  _desired_  by no one, his touch  _never_  openly and eagerly received.

He, Sesshomaru, had a mate now, a  _partner_  in carnal pleasure of the flesh with whom he could indulge. Oh! And he  _intended_ to indulge… both his and her at whim, with no shame. He would no longer suffer the indignity of pumping himself to a hallow climax that only served to remind him of his solitude. Sesshomaru rarely pleasured himself because the moment of physical pleasure had never been worth the feelings of loneliness that inevitably followed his brief climax.

Instead, he'd channeled his energies elsewhere or at least attempted to. Battle became an outlet, and owning powerful swords became a balm to soothe his wounded ego. His insecurities revolving around his father's love, his mother's acceptance and the constant  _doubt_  both seemed to have in his abilities, we carefully hidden beneath a cool façade and pompous empty male-posturing. He always proclaimed his superiority, yet questioned time and time again  _why_  it was that his father had seemed to favor the younger sibling, which had been nothing but a newly whelped pup. Did his father truly hate him so much? Was he so sorely lacking? So unworthy of the love of the demon he'd spent his life worshiping? What made him so terrible that a half-blood pup whom the Inu no Taisho had never even had the opportunity to get to know, worth so much more to his father than Sesshomaru?

Had it been  _him_  in danger… would his father have willing given his life to save He,  _Sesshomaru?_

Somehow… he had his doubts…

But none of that mattered now.  _Now,_  he was wanted.  _Now_ , he was desired.  _Now_ he had someone who believed in him; had never found him lacking, despite his failures to her… Rin was willing to  _be_  with him, in every sense of the word,  _for only the reason of loving him_.

He was no longer alone, and no longer was there any reason to feel…  _frustrated_ … by a lack of intimacy and contact.

Inuyasha had only once dared to comment that Sesshomaru might not be such an 'asshole', (as his brash otouto had so colorfully phrased his brother's frustrated, easily insulted personality and overly violent tendencies), if only he'd get a little 'female attention' once in awhile.

Sesshomaru had promptly beaten the hanyou soundly.

However, when Sesshomaru had stalked off in a flurry of silk and ruffled fur, he later admitted, if only to himself, that perhaps his little brother had a point. He'd even thought about attempting to find a willing female, one who he would make an attempt to allay their fears enough to get past that disgusting scent, if only to relieve himself of his virginity. Usually he was able to use logic and killing things to overcome these urges, but... he was only a male. Not simply a male, but a male teenaged demon in his sexual prime, who was not having any sort of sex. Their were many solitary nights that his frustration and resentment for his situation led to violence, and, his energy spent, a kind of quiet rueful acceptance usually followed these deadly outbursts,  _but_  there had been a single moment of weakness… which was nearly his, _and Rin's_ , (who, while obviously a female, who obviously loved him, was still a child at the time, and, most assuredly  _not_  a suitable partner for the types of activities he craved) ultimate downfall.

On the single occasion he'd been desperate enough to consider perhaps making use of one of the concubines, whom had been his father's, and still resided at the shiro in the clouds, (after he was finished strengthening his sword of course), the mood had been quite ruined when his mother had gone and unleashed a hell hound that ate his little girl.

Since that day, whenever he thought of taking another female, Rin's face had flashed in his mind. Sesshomaru remembered how his being distracted with thoughts of mating had led to his carelessness and how Rin had almost paid the ultimate price.

As his feelings for the girl changed hue over the years, he realized hers was the only female company he desired and… he had waited _hundreds_ of years… what was a few more, if it meant that perhaps he would be rewarded with Rin as a mate? Of course, these admissions had been made to himself slowly with much of the knowledge remaining just below his conscious awareness, but then…

Jaken had died and he was even more alone than ever. Something inside him had finally, snapped, and…

Sesshomaru had  _ached_  for Rin.

Yes, physically and emotionally, he wished for no other at his side but  _her._ He wanted to be with  _no one_  else, only  _her,_ _ **only Rin**_ **.**

_His Rin._

He wished for no other female's scent on his person, no other woman to touch his skin, no other was worthy to learn his secrets, know him on such an intimate level. He was  _glad_  he had not wasted his time, and bedded a mere whore.

 _Now, yes_ _ **now**_ **,** in this moment that her and her scent was thick and her skin was soft and her sounds were naught but inarticulate mewls of longing and delight… Sesshomaru could hardly contain himself, feeling himself salivate at the thought that he was moments away from tasting her. He knew he'd made the correct decision in waiting; it had definitely been worth it.

Rinhad been  _worth_  waiting for.

Sesshomaru continued to survey her glistening sex, his new acquired territory, and took his time, despite his eagerness. He'd never seen a woman's intimate parts up close before.

He sought out the tiny pink 'bud' his brother had described, locating it easily, at the apex of her flushed wet folds. He was pleased to see it standing proudly, as Inuyasha had explained to him that such a thing indicated a very high level of arousal in her. Her 'opening' was not so easy to detect. He could see nowhere on her where there was a 'hole,' perhaps he would need to explore a bit…

Yes…  _explore her…_  using his tongue.

His eyes danced and flickered with predatory delight.

This was his  _right_ , earned after years of devotion ardent protection, infinite concern, patience he did not always feel and a covert attention to the details of her care and…

This was also her desire.

He pressed his nose against her, sniffing rapidly before inhaling deeply, taking in the intoxicating scent of her arousal, and delighting in her gasp and the throaty moan she released.

"Sesshomaru," his beautiful and now impatient female was whispering, " _pleeeaaassseee."_

He shook his head back and forth roughly and rapidly, much like the dog he was, using his nose to stimulate her bundle of nerves. The action had the effect of spreading her resulting wetness, covering his face in her scent laden juices, and Sesshomaru was  _loving it_.

His tongue came out and to lap at her lightly a few times, before he bravely pushed out with more force, blindly searching for the place where her body would yield, and he could slip his tongue inside her. He was rewarded nearly immediately, as he felt his long rough appendage be all but  _sucked_  into her tight passage. A triumphant smirk graced his features as her inner walls undulated around the muscle he'd entered her with, and a groan made it to his pointed ears. Still experimenting he curled his tongue pressing while pulling out of her…  _searching…_ he it then, a rough and slightly raised lumpy place inside her, that when he made contact, she bucked her hips up and squeaked in pleasured surprise.

_This must be the 'spot' inside her that Inuyasha described, the place I must focus my attentions on._

He pressed against it several more times, curling his tongue, and massaging it, twisting and putting as much pressure as his position and the strength of his tongue allowed. He was rewarded for his efforts when he felt a warm gush of fresh liquid coat his tongue seep onto his lips. Rin's hips pressed into his face and stilled, mere moments later her thighs began to shake, and she rocks her hips forward to give him easier access to her moist and delicious tight passage.

"Ooooh! Maaahhh-rooooo!" she moans, and he isn't sure if she's saying his actions are 'perfect' or if she's shortening his name, but either way her husky tone spurs him on, as do her next words of encouragement, "Soooooo Guuuuuuudddddd!" the words come out with a groan, and his Rin is panting harshly.

Gods! How badly he needs to be inside of her! He would give his immortal life, at this point, if only he could thrust himself within that tight wet sheathe that is sucking his tongue deeper inside with every contraction of her inner muscles.

With inhuman speed the taiyoukai reaches down and slices the fundoshi from his loins, pressing his own throbbing arousal into the futon. His own hips grinding with urgent need, he knows he must prepare her further for his immanent invasion.

He retracted his tongue to replace it with a single finger, gently teasing his way inside, and once sheathed, curling it to hit that most sensitive spot within her, refocusing his oral efforts on teasing the pink bud he knows will also drive her toward climax. He delights in the way Rin begins to grind her hips against his hand, pushing his finger deeper within into her welcoming body. He notes that although she is untouched she has no barrier to bar his way. He supposes it was lost to one of the countless physical traumas of her childhood, or perhaps to her training in the various weapons he knows her to be proficient in. He has heard such a thing is common among female samurai. In a way, he is grateful for her lack of maidenhead, as it will make this experience far less uncomfortable for her. He continues to pump and lick her, hearing her gasp and cry out,

"Mooorree… please… more…I need… mooooooooorrrrrrreeee."

His eyes begin to bleed to red and he closes them, growling, not wishing for her to see his reaction to her not-so-innocent pleadings. He adds a second finger, angling it so that with each pump of his hand into her, he presses against her sweet spot. When her juices gush again, he adds a third finger twisting and spreading and wiggling; stretching her slowly.

Sesshomaru's heavy cock is twitching in anticipation of feeling the oh-so-tight velvety slickness that is enveloping his fingers around his aching member. Rin is humping against him roughly now and he feels her fingers twine in his hair and hold his head down, insistently. Rin has wordlessly demanded he continue, and he feels her ankles cross behind his back, resting on his shoulder blades, but also pushing him slightly forward.

"Please… harder… faster and…" she cuts herself off, blushing at the realization of her own demands, and how she is holding him to her with both her hands and her legs, and how wantonly her hips are raised, pressing her sex into his face.

Her demonic lover looks up at her, and she throws her head back, unable to meet his eyes, but, unknowingly pleasing him with the submissive baring of her throat, questioning,

"And?"

Rin continues to blush and look away, embarrassed beyond all belief at her over-enthusiastic reactions. Perhaps she should not be so demanding… he may take instruction as an insult, as if she is saying he does not know what he's doing?

"I'm sorry…" She whispers into the dark, still staring at the ceiling.

Sesshomaru growls, ceasing his ministrations momentarily, earning a whimper from her, and he nips at her inner thigh, a slight warning.

"Do not hold back. I wish to know how best to please you," he demands in his authoritative tone.

"Harder… faster… and, uh… suck…" she admits, still blushing, with almost a question in her tone.

Immediately he redoubles his efforts, closing his lips around her bud, and suckling gently, while thrusting his fingers in and out of her faster, and slightly harder than before, letting loose a light growl, indicative of his fervent wish to please her, but also his own arrousal.

"Kami-sama!" The girl beneath him cries out to gods, ironic considering her choice in lover. Her thighs quake harder than before… and that's when he feels it…

Her muscles start to contract and ripple, squeezing and sucking his fingers as warm musky-sweet smelling juices  _pour_  out of her, gushing over his hand and her hips rise and fall in short staccato thrusts. It is only his sensitive nose that can distinguish between this gush and a less… pleasant one, but her natural fluid scents and tastes of only pure feminine musk. Is this… gushing… usual? He must assume it is, for he has no other experience to compare it to, however, while he was aware females become slick when aroused, to ease entrance, he never imagined anything like this…

_Gods… she smells… she tastes… ye GODS! So FUCKING good!_

_His coarse inner dialog, so unusual for him surprises him, but there is simply no other way to accurately convey how he feels about the female below him. He's awed at how much something so natural and common can be so… incredible._

He can nearly  _feel_  her wrapped around his member, doing that same squeezing sucking, gushing, and his own hips grind roughly into the futon below him, the cool silk rubbing against his overly sensitive heated shaft and head, his foreskin slipping over his ridge as he moves, stimulating his oft-neglected maleness.

Before the masculine smugness of causing her orgasm can settle in, he realizes with a sort of panic that he can feel pre-cum leaking from his tip and his testicles are already tightening…

_Damn it!_

In a blur of motion, he is on top of her, his slim hips between her thighs and the tip of his member pressed against her opening. The girl is momentarily startled and bucks up, rubbing herself against him and he's lost. His orgasm is imminent and he isn't even inside of her yet.

Without preamble, he pushes himself inside her quickly, wishing with all his being to feel her sheathed around him, if only for an instant. His Rin winces against his abrupt invasion, but does not make any attempt to stop or slow his invasion of her body. No, instead, she sucks in a breath, and spreads her legs further to accommodate him.

The powerful taiyoukai manages only three rough pumps before he's spent, and he buries his face against her neck, sinking his fangs into her neck to mark her, a part of him wondering if she still wishes to be his after his disappointing display… He remains there, to hide his shame in coming so quickly… He cannot look her in the eye after his… failure… His orgasm had begun before he was sheathed and because of that he hasn't even knotted inside her. He's… failed, so utterly.

He wants to groan in disappointment and frustration, but remains silent, his body still shaking, though if it's the after effects of his climax or a shudder of disgust with himself, he can not say.

After a long moment, he makes to move, to lift himself off of her, relieve her of the burden of his weight… but… she wraps her legs around him, halting his retreat. Rin pulls him down again, holding the back of his head, pressing him back into to her neck, and swiping her fingers through his hair.

"Not yet," she whispers.

He doesn't understand. Surely she must know that he has already released? Mustering the fortitude to admit his failure to her, he says,

"Rin… I have… already…" He feels her grip on him tighten, as though she fears he will pull away, despite her wish for him to remain. Her weak human hold is incapable of stopping him should he choose to refuse her.

"I know. I just… I want to hold you, just  _feel_  you inside me… please… just a little longer?"

He cannot deny her puzzling request, not after he has failed her so horribly. The girl could have asked  _anything_  of him, in this moment, and if it meant redemption in her eyes he would have granted it. He nods against her neck and settles back down, lying somewhat stiffly, and feeling very awkward.

"I love you, so much…" He hears her whisper, feels her lips move against the tip of his ear.

Her words, which should be comforting, only serve to twist the knife. How can she love him, praise him, reward him after this? He has  _hurt_ her. He lost control and his own selfish need overcame him. He pushed himself into her quickly, causing her discomfort, and did not even grant her a moment to adjust to him, before pumping himself in and out of her roughly, in short sharp strokes. He couldn't even last long enough for her to overcome the discomfort and find pleasure in their mating.

He's so  _angry_  at himself. He gives a little growl, and replies to her harshly, though it is not directed at her, "I have failed," His tone has it's usual icy edge, a sharpness and clarity of baritone that sends fear straight to the heart of an enemy. It is a tone he has  _never_  used with  _her_ before, save for their first encounter…

"How is it you can 'love' he who caused you pain where there should have been pleasure, only selfishly taking his own?"

He feels her stiffen beneath him, and she tugs on his hair only hard enough to lift his head so he can look her in the eye.

"What are you talking about?" She seems surprised, though he can't imagine why she would be.

"I will not repeat myself." He will not reiterate his failures, not to her, not to  _anyone_.

Rin sighs, shaking her head, and pushing him down against her once more.

"Oh, Sesshomaru… you're always so hard on yourself, don't you know how  _incredible_  that was for me? I mean… gods… your mouth… your _tongue_ … ye gods… I've never felt anything like that!" Unconsciously her hips wriggle, remembering her orgasm. "Besides, who says I'm done with you? We have  _hours_  more before daylight and I don't know about  _you_ , but  _I_  intend to make good use of them. I've been waiting years for the opportunity to be with you, and I don't intend to let you off so easily…"

At her words, he's raised his head, looking at her curiously, one eyebrow raised, he questions her, anger dissipates and amusement sneaks into his tone

"Oh? And what plans might you have for this Sesshomaru?" Her words, as usual have been exactly what he needed to hear, and his previous anger is forgotten, as he is curious what it is she may be thinking. Not only is he curious, he  _cares_  what it is she may require of him.

Rin trails a finger tip over the point of his ear, and brings her lips to his shell, mouthing without even whispering, knowing he'll still hear her words,

"I intend to taste my mate…"

He groans at the thought, then pushes himself up on his arms, he looks down at her softly, his hair falling in a silken curtain around them, before he leans forward to capture her lips with his own. Mindful of his fangs he kisses her deeply, gratitude from the depths of his heart expressed in his kiss.

When he breaks apart to let her breathe, she smiles widely, and her mirth and joy sparkles in her mud-colored depths as she wraps her arms around his neck, giving an amused chuckle.

"Now… that's more like it!"

She pushes him off of her, with small hands splayed across his chest, and coaxes him to lay on his back. Rin boldly climbs on top of him, straddling his waist, leaning down and foreword to attack his mouth with her own, her own hair whispering across his body as it falls forward. Her hands run over his biceps, squeeze his shoulders, slide down his pectoral muscles until her nails drag lightly across his small pink nipples, raising goose bumps on his skin. The girl brings a hand up to brush his bangs back, leaning foreword and swiping her lips across the moon on his brow. Her breasts hang right before his eyes but he restrains himself, instead, he reaches for her narrow waist, settling his hands on her hips for a moment, before bringing them down to her full soft bottom, cupping, kneading, and squeezing her posterior.

Rin palms Sesshomaru's cheek and trails her other hand down between their bodies, gripping his rapidly hardening member. His mate strokes him up and down, pulling his foreskin over the head of his cock, brushing the tip with her thumb, and smoothing her small hand all the way down to tease his sack with her fingertips.

It seems she enjoys exploring and experimenting with him, as much as he did her.

"Now…" She says huskily, "where were we?" she chuckles softly, and begins trailing kisses along his jaw, down his neck and over his chest.

Rin slid her body down against his, her sex briefly coming into contact with his, as a groan escapes the very depth of his throat. Never has he been… enjoyed… in such a way, and it is arousing enough to have him fully erect again within mere minutes.

Instead of sheathing him within her, she continues her downward journey. She swirls her tongue in his belly button, nipping slightly with playful abandon, then traces his pleasure trail and lower abdominal ridges with her tongue and lips, before coming to rest right above his arousal, which is again HOT and HARD and THROBBING.

He can feel her warm breath ghost against the tip of his member, and his cock jumps, making her giggle.

He growls slightly, and she looks up, wide eyed… pretending to be surprised. Rin's features shift from wide-eyed and innocent to a devilish smirk, and he feels her warm soft tongue glide over the tip of him, and his head falls back, his eyes snap shut and he knows…

_It's going to be a long and pleasurable night._


	12. The Main Event II

Before she can take him in her mouth he stops her.

"Wait." Before he continues, he wants to implant the shard that will keep her safe from injury, as he can feel his beast clawing to get out, just beneath the surface.

He stands, and retrieves the shard, placing it in his mouth. He comes before her and sticks out his tongue, which the shard is resting on, and she seems amused at his display. He pulls his tongue back inside and allows his Ki to flow into into his mouth, much like when he calls his poison, but keeping his venom at bay. He can feel the shard absorb his power.

He leans forward, and uses a canine fang to open an inch long vertical wound over her sternum, hearing her gasp. Quickly, he pushes the shard into it with his tongue and then laps at it twice, healing the small but deep cut. A starburst of power radiates through her body and she can  _feel_  the difference.

"Oh!" For a moment she staggers on her feet, but he grips her shoulders and rights her. A wicked smile crosses his face at her vulnerability, his beast sensing her more fully now than ever before.

"Now, my precious little bitch… suck me." He intones, staring at her with crimson tides ebbing into the whites of his eyes and with a lust filled tone. There is a hint of dark amusement as well.

Rin shivers at his tone, but not in fear. She is aroused by  _his_  arousal. Already the combination of the shard and his mark are working their magic and creating a bond between them. Before this night ends, he will be inside her, in every possible way; in her body, in her mind, in her heart and in her very soul…  _They will be one._

She falls to her knees in obedience and submission. Rin grips him with her hands,  _velvet over an iron rod…_  and brings her mouth forward, sucking in his tip with greedy abandon. He hisses in pleasure and then growls in delight as she continues forward covering him in her warm, wet, sucking mouth. She bobs her head and works both hands over him, and his hands burn to grab her head and guide her, but he digs his claws into his palm and attempts some semblance of sanity. His eyes are swirling in a dangerous mixture of red, gold and white, and the beast claws more frantically.  _She is mine to do with as I please… but…_

 _I must not scare her._  He thinks, but… Rin has other ideas.

She pulls back and looks up into his face from her position of supplication, whispering, "Let go… Rin craves your lust as much as your love… let go, Sesshomaru. Show me… show me the demon inside… show me how you want me…"

She sings a siren song, calling to his inner demon and after only a brief struggle he loses the battle with himself entirely. His whole body thrums with power as his markings go jagged and his eyes enlarge and the red wave crashes over his vision; the beast is free.

His hands come up and fist the hair on the sides of her head, burying his fingers in the strands and tugging, forcing her to crane her neck back further to look at him.

"Suck me, Bitch." He shoves her head forward insistently and when he feels her compliance and lack of resistance, his beast  _roars_. He continues to drag her mouth roughly over his length and shoves his hips forward.

 _Suck it, Suck it, Suck it._ His mind repeats, over and over.

He feels his member hit the back of her throat, but still he presses on. She does not gag, she does not cry tears or scent of fear or pain… she is  _aroused_  by his actions, and her scent spurs his dark demonic lust on.

"Yes…" he croons, "take it all my little bitch…" he encourages her in a tone that sends shivers down her spine, wetness to her sex and lust to her heart, "Suck your alpha's cock like a bitch in heat… earn my powerful fuck…"

Up until this point he has maintained control; he has been decidedly more human in his 'lovemaking'. He has allowed her to dominate certain aspects, and held his beast at bay. No longer. Her show of submission has released his inner lust driven beast. He has marked her as  _his_  and his beast wishes to do as he pleases with his honored mate. In the end, the beast will always have its way. He will do no serious harm to her, she is marked, and his beast recognizes her as his alpha female, but he will show her what it means to be the bitch of a taiyoukai. Now, 'lovemaking' complete, the beast inside will  _fuck her._

He rips her drooling mouth from his angry red cock, and she gasps for breath. In her most secret fantasies, this is what she has dreamed. Rin has always understood that Sesshomaru was youkai, and  _no youkai_ , no matter their love or protection, is known for the gentleness, especially during mating. She has dreamed of his mating as a wild and rough experience, not the stuff of sappy romance novels. Rin has wanted him to dominate her, own her, posses her body as he has her heart for years. She will be a most willing slave to his demonic lust, because she has wished for nothing more than the opportunity to serve him this way since she knew what went on between a male and female.

She has seen the aftermath of the full moon on the body of her priestess friend. The bruised wrists, the punctured shoulders, the scratched thighs and hand printed hip bones. She knows what is to come, and lustful anticipation springs to life, twisting her stomach into knots and making her nether regions ache and swell.

_Oh gods… he's going to fuck me… oh GODS… how I want him to fuck me!_

"On all fours. Present yourself to you alpha." He commands roughly, through gritted teeth with a tense jaw.

Immediately she turns and assumes the position. Her head and chest pressed to the ground, her spine arched to push her ass into the air, displaying her dripping sex shamelessly before her alpha.

Sesshomaru crouches. Once again he presses his face to her dripping flushed sex and pushes his tongue inside, although this time it is to heal any internal soreness from his prior rough treatment. He hears her gasp and moan, feels her shove back onto his face and he knows then that her need is approaching his own.

The cool air on her secret place combined with her vulnerability is an elixir, making Rin lust-drunk. She too has given up any control she may have claimed. She gives herself totally to her dominant alpha male, trusting herself to his care, just as she always has, and is ready to do anything he asks of her. She feels him pull back, and his member at her entrance, probing with a smooth round mushroom tip. So hot and hard.

Sesshomaru allows his tip to slip past her opening but then stills, the dominant beast inside holding back, wishing to force her humiliation, supplication and submission.

"Beg me." He commands, while spreading her thighs  _wide open_ , and using his hands to part her cheeks, surveying her  _other_  opening. Oh yes, before the end of the week he would penetrate her there as well. Her entire body would be his, marked and claimed with his seed and scent. If he could, he would bathe her in a never ending river of his scent laden cum, and in this state, there will be very little recovery time between his orgasms, so he intends to brand her with his seed in  _many_  ways this night and these next few days.  _My Rin!_

_This bitch is mine, and she will_ _**reek** _ _of this Sesshomaru, before this week is through._

He feels her tense, but a whimper and spasm around his tip later, she cries for him,

"Please, Sesshomaru."

"Please, what?" he replies in a bored tone, though he is far from bored…

"Take me." She tries, after searching for a dignified response to such an indignant question.

"Take you? Where?" He presses her. He will make her  _say it_.

Rin groans in frustration…  _Oh gods…_  She feels him grip his shaft and use his grip to tease his tip within her.

"Fuck me!" she cries out, finally broken, "Pleeeeease, Fuck me!"

Demonic red eyes glow in predatory delight, and a deep growl shakes his entire frame, vibrating all the way down to his toes and the tip of his head. His shaft even quaked as he grips her hips, pulling her back and thrusting forward in one decisive movement and his jagged hip markings hit the full round cheeks of her ass. He groans at feeling her tight wet velvet walls clamp around his incredibly sensitized member.  _So fucking tight… so fucking wet… so fucking good…_

"Good Grrrrrrrrllll, Rrrrrriiinnnn."

His body does not yet fall forward, instead, he leans back, the angle of his thrusting hitting her most sensitive spot inside and more juices flow down his shaft, wet his silver pubic hair and her dark hair, and make her inner thighs glisten as he pumps himself wildly in and out of her tight warm depths, plundering her for all she is worth. He  _howls_ , not only once, but over and over.

"Arrroooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!…. Ar, ar, aroooooooooooooooooooooo!!!." In between the wall shaking howls he snarls and snaps his jaws at the air. His beast is in full control now, and his face is partially transformed. Gone from his mind are thoughts of decorum, decency, and what the human villagers must be thinking as the sounds of his rutting carry on the wind, waking them from sleep.

"GGGOOOOOOOOOODDDDDDDDDDSSSSSSSSSS!" Rin's own cries are not completely drown out by his. Her mind is numb, all she knows is the pulsing jack hammer that rams itself into her internal pleasure center with brutal efficientcy and inhuman speed and strength.

She shatters around him, clenching and fluttering and squeezing and sucking his member into her depths. Tears begin to pour from her eyes at the sheer overwhelming  _sensation_  of him spearing himself relentlessly into her. Her climax seems to last forever as he simply forges on, pistoning his hips in short staccato strokes that seem as though they will never cease.

Still riding the cresting waves of her first climax, another overtakes her and again, she GUSHES her release. She hears his howls cease for a moment and his dog-like sniffing of the air. His motions falter for the briefest moment before yet another victory howl tares itself from his throat.

Rin feels lost in animalistic instinct. She is no longer in control of her body and every human dignity flies from her mind, nothing but the rough hard rutting, the continual invasion of her tight slick passage and the pounding of his hips against her ass can exist for her.

"Ahhhhhhhhhh, oh Kami-sama! Ahhhhhhhhhh! Daaaaaaammmmmnnnnnnn iiiiiiitttttt!"

He never seems to stop.

Finally his chest meets her back and an inhuman voice growls in her ear,

"You're MINE, Bitch! You're MINE!" each time he says 'mine' his quick strokes pitch deeper, bringing her to the border of painful pleasure.

"Yes!" she sobbingly agrees. "Yes! Rin is yours!"

"Who is your master? Say my  _name,_ bitch, my  _NAME_!"

Rin continues to sob, overwhelmed by emotion, and the wonderful feeling of him inside her. She is only trying to catch her breathe to comply, when he nips her ear, impatient for her declarations of his ownership. With a threatening tone he all but purrs,

"Scream my  _name_ , or simply scream… the choice is yours, little girl."

Instantly a sliver of fear overtakes her and she screams as loudly as she can,

"Sssseeesssshhhhoooommmmaaarrrruuuu!" then she pants, but continues to say his name as if it is a magic charm that will release her from his tortured pleasurable assault on her body, Rin can't take much more. "Sesshomaru, Sesshomaru, Sesshomaru, Sesshomaru, Sess. Sho. Ma. Ru!"

With a final snarl and thrust so deep she is sure she felt it in her throat, he clamps his fangs into her shoulder, sinking into muscle, causing hot pain to radiate down her arm and any support she has from the limb gives way and she collapses completely.

Oddly enough the pain morphs into a pleasant feeling of warmth after only a moment and the extra sensation sends her whining a small, less-intense almost mini-climax out again.

She can  _feel_  the scorching rush of hot fluid pour into her, so hot it nearly burns in it's intensity, before she feels a slightly stinging stretch within her and  _something_  grows impossibly  _larger_  within her.

_What is…_

Instinctively she seeks to pull away from the alien feeling, but his fangs lock in time with his bruising grip on her hips and he growls low and dangerously.

She stills, going limp once more and ceases her struggles completely, giving in to the now no longer painful expansion. It seems the heat of his release is also acting to relax her inner muscles, soothing them, to allow this odd… thing…

Rin whimpers.

"Sesshomaru? What…?"

His eyes fade to gold, and he comes back to himself slowly, as if waking from a dream, though, he can recall everything, it is as if the actions were not his own. This same feeling overtakes him when he brakes a transformation, and he is slightly… worried. A quick check of her scent and state of mind confirms she has not been seriously harmed, and is in fact, feeling lazy and sated. Relief washes over him. She is not angry, humiliated, hurt or frightened.  _Thank the Kami._  He releases his grip on her shoulder and laves her neck healing the wounds, though the shard in her chest has already begun to heal her.

"Do not attempt to move away. It will cause pain for us both." He wraps his arms around her waist, and sneaks his hands upwards. One kneads her breast, and the other rubs soothing circles on her soft belly.

He allows the comforting growl to bubble up and he licks her neck, her ears, her cheek and shoulders affectionately.  _Gods, how he loves her._

When she seems to sigh and relax he squeezes her a little more tightly for a moment.

"I will roll us on to our sides. Perhaps you might find more comfort in that position."

Rin nods her head silently, feeling the silk of the futon rub against her forehead. She is still comfortably trapped beneath him, but his weight now is becoming burdensome. She is grateful when she feels them tip to the side, and she allows him to guide her to a more comfortable position for them both. Still he does not withdrawal from her, although, that  _something_  seems to be… shrinking.

"Sesshomaru?" she tries again after a moment. She feels him take a deep breath behind her, and nuzzle her neck. She smiles at his affectionate gesture. She has never known Sesshomaru to be overly physically affectionate, although, she has never known him to be 'cold' either. Others have told her his so, although she simply cannot see that about him.

"I have knotted within your body. It is something that occurs in both mortal dogs and Inuyoukai. It is my body's attempt to assist my seed in taking firm hold within you, and creating pups. Until I constrict again, attempting to move away could cause damage to us both. We are…'stuck' like this." She could swear, if she could see his face, he would be blushing, although, she remains sure that is not the  _actual_ case.

"Oh…" Rin relaxes in his hold, feeling very reassured, "I'm glad… I was… confused… but, if it's normal… and…" Rin brightened at the thought, "if it'll help us have a baby…" Rin smiled broadly,  _a baby..._

She wants to be a mother, so badly, and to be having the offspring of  _Sesshomaru…_  It is all she has ever dreamed.

"Pups, Rin. Our offspring will by hanyou pups, although, your enthusiasm pleases me." Sesshomaru could scent the heady scents of love and devotion permeate the air. The scent was nearly as enticing as that of her arousal. He noticed her eyelids drooping, and her heart rate slowing. He wished he could take her once more, but…  _She is still human._

"Rest now, little one." Another familiar phrase from her childhood.  _He has loved her for so long… perhaps… long before it was 'appropriate' to feel as such._

Mokomoko curls around her naked body, sneaking around her waist, winding around her chest and under her head as pillow. This same nightly ritual had been done each night when she was a child, though, then she had been clothed.

She responds with a yawn, "You were incredible… better than any of my fantasies, or even my best dreams."

His male ego purrs, but before he can respond, he hears her snoring softly. He brushes her bangs away from her face, once more gentle and reverent.

"As you were you, my Lady… as were you."


	13. Chosen

Sesshomaru lay awake, unable to sleep. For hours he listened to Rin's heart beat, memorized her breathing, and felt the small twitches her body made as she dreamed. Inevitably he propped himself up to gaze over her shoulders and watched her chest move in rhythm with her deep and even inhales and exhales, and could not look away.

His eyes traced the outline she made, sleeping on her side. The round top of her dark head, the dip into her neck, the sharp incline to her shoulders, the way her ribs tapered down until the delicate curve of her tiny waist and the pronounced flair of her hip. All these smooth lines leading to rounded thighs and slightly bend knees, well shaped calves and small delicate ankles. Her feet, roughened from years of shoe-less travel called to him, the only part of her body that was not perfectly  _soft_ , but the imperfection only adding to her overall beauty.

The sun had barely begun to peak over the horizon when the internal battle began.  _Should he wake her? Would she be angry? How long did humans need to sleep, anyway? Would it be selfish to wake her? Was he being too demanding?_

Deciding against waking her, there was a new slippery slope to slide.  _Would it be wrong to touch her? She is my mate, mine… but, would it be violation to touch her in her sleep? Would she think me perverted, be disgusted with my inability to restrain myself? Perhaps she would find it endearing, that I could not resist her even while she slumbers? Would it be molesting her? Taking advantage? She is mine… but…_

Despite his inner dialog, his hand burned to touch her skin once more and, losing the battle with himself the pad of his thumb ghosted across her nipple. Never had he found himself so  _fascinated_  with a woman's breast before. They were always thought of as… _functional._  For food, to nourish pups, not for his own perverse… _enjoyment._

Now, he could not help but to stare, and when the sleeping girl had no reaction to his touching her nipple, he became bolder, lightly curving his palm around the underside of the soft full mound of her breast, allowing the barest hint of its weight to rest on his hand. Still, she did not stir.

He became hyper-focused on his hand, the breast he cradled, and allowed his thumb to move teasingly over the nipple, and, even in her sleep, it hardened against his light touch. He was unaware of the low smooth pleased sounding growl in his chest as he continued to fondle his new mate. The world faded away until nothing but the sight of his hand on her existed, and he missed the increase in her heart rate…

A small smile curved her lips and, without opening her eyes Rin murmured contentedly, "Enjoying yourself?"

Sesshomaru snatched his had back so fast it was a blur, embarrassed to be caught manhandling the girl in her sleep, and, while his features remained stoic, he quickly looked away, like a guilty child caught stealing a sticky sweet roll, he could not face his accuser.

Rin pouted, and finally turned over to face her molester. Her eyes drifted lazily open and her bottom lip came out in just a hint of exaggeration.

Mistaking her look for one of displeasure, Sesshomaru made to lower himself to apologize… something that he had a feeling he may need to get more used to doing, if what other mated males said held any truth.

"Gome-"

His eyes widened when Rin jerked her head up and kissed him quickly on the lips, silencing his apology, "Why did you stop?" she whispered huskily, reaching for his hand and moving it back to her breast. As if by instinct he was immediately again kneading and massaging. Sesshomaru pulled back to look her in the eye as he answered blandly,

"You were asleep." He stated as if this should be the obvious answer to her question. What he was doing was clearly  _wrong_ , even if he could not have explained  _why_  it was wrong.

"But what a wonderful way to wake up…" Rin murmured, pressing her body close to his once again and snuggling against him, forcing his hand away from her breast and to her back, where he trailed down, following the curve of her behind and coming back up to linger at the tip of her tail bone.  _How odd it must be… to never have experienced having a tail… How are humans able to keep such balance, never having known a proper counter weight?_

"What is it like…" He asked, before he could stop himself, before he could think to  _not_  remind Rin that he was  _not_  human at all… despite this forms appearance.

For some reason he could not determine he was not very keen on the idea of making her think of him in his  _true_  form at the moment.  _Of course_  she knew what he was… she'd seen him semi-transformed more times than he could recall and seen his true form on a handful of occasions, but he was suddenly very self conscious of the fact that he was  _a dog._

Never had such a thing ever been a question in his mind. He was not human, he was a  _dog._  If one had asked him to identify himself there would never have been shame in the word ' _Inu'_  coming before ' _youkai'_ … it was as simple as saying he was male. Quite the opposite actually, he had always  _abhorred_  humans, never wanted to be like them in any way, and yet now that his mate was a different species than he was it was suddenly more… _obvious_  to him exactly  _what_  he was. He was somehow  _more_   _aware_  of himself than he ever had been before.

Ironically, mokomoko began to twitch unconsciously, and Rin noticed, thinking it may have been a reaction to her weight having been upon it for so long and she shifted to allow him to remove her 'pillow' if he chose, when he didn't Rin asked, "Sesshomaru, am I uncomfortable on your fur?"

Sesshomaru snatched the fur back and moved it once again behind his shoulder. He did so so quickly that Rin was left to stare in awe. Had she said something wrong?

"Se-Sesshomaru-sama?" Seeing the clouded far away look in his eyes and the slight furrow to his brow Rin was suddenly very unsure of things… She was already beginning to feel the affects of their bonding mark and what she could tell of his emotions was… _uncertainty._  Never had he seemed to second guess himself, although, she supposed that, until now, she had no way of knowing if this was typical for him or not… his face betrayed nothing, even to her, at the moment.

At hearing Rin once again use the honorific with his name Sesshomaru snapped out of his reverie, and focused his gaze on her.

"Did I… what's  _wrong?_ " Rin was becoming more and more unsettled with each passing moment of silence, until finally, Sesshomaru spoke again.

"Does it bother you, that I am  _inu?_ " Sesshomaru did not know  _why_  he chose  _now_  to ask Rin something of this magnitude, especially now that it was  _too late_ to do anything if it  _did_  bother her. She was  _marked_ , they were  _mated_  and therefore bound together… still, what was this _need_  he had to hear her  _say_   _again_  that she was not  _disturbed_  or  _ashamed_  to be  _his?_

Sesshomaru himself would have killed the person who dared to utter the word  _insecure_  in his direction…

Rin gave a small smile and stroked mokomoko for a moment, before bringing her hand up to trace the stripes adorning her demon-lovers face, watching as his eyes bored intently into hers. "No." She answered simply.

*Flashback*

Sesshomaru distanced himself from her. It was for the best. Now that Rin had not only seen him in his true form, but been through such a harrowing experience as  _dying_  again, (not to mention having met his  _mother –_ a harrowing experience in and of itself), it could only be assumed that she would fear him.

He allowed  _the boy_  to tend to her need for food and water, and watched as she settled in for the night – for the first time in a long time, not asking if she could sleep either near him or on his lap.

_It will be nice to be so unencumbered, once again. It was a most troublesome ritual that was in need of correcting anyway…_

He forced his eyes not gaze on her, forced his ears not to train on her heart rate and breathing and forced himself  _not_  to focus on her scent. He willed himself into a meditative state, and waited patiently for morning to come, and with it, the girl's enevitable request to depart his company.

Being so distracted, and so entirely focused on blocking her out it was with some alarm that he felt a tiny hand on his thigh. Instinctively he reached out with his  _one arm_  and his clawed hand wrapped around her tiny wrist, halting her movement.

Wide eyes with unshed tears gazed up at him, and a tiny pink lower lips trembled, being wetted by a small pink tongue several times, as he heard Rin take gulping breaths. Only then did he realize that his grip must be uncomfortable for her, and he briefly wondered why the girl had not protested such mistreatment.

"Sesshomaru-sama is angry with Rin." The girl stated, bowing her head. He saw and smelled tear drops fall to the ground, the scent of salt mixing with the soil in a most displeasing way. How was it that this girl was so easily able to read  _everything_  about him, except his feelings when it came to  _her?_  "Gomen Sesshomaru-sama… gomenasai… gomen, gomen gomen…" the girl began to stutter and repeat. "Please… please… please…"the chant became, after a few minutes of his non-reaction.

"Rin, for what do you ask?" He finally answered, bewildered and becoming slightly annoyed that she begged, but did not state what she was begging  _for_. Humans begged him, so often, but usually it was for their lives. He owed no human anything, and so, was unaccustomed to hearing them  _ask_  him for anything, save mercy – which was not a trait he counted among his virtues.

The girl completely broke down at that point, heaving shaking sobs wracking her small frame and mucus thickening her words, "Please, Se-se-se-se-shoooo-hooho-ma-ma-ruuuuuu-sahahahamahamahamaha."

His clawed and only hand came out to rest upon the girls head, before sliding down to brush over her cheek. Such was the 'comfort' he'd offered only several hours ago- and, at the time the gesture had been foreign, but instinctual. This time, it was not the 'natural' thing for him to do – and was only repeated, because of it's earlier success. He simply needed to stop this unbecoming display, and experience had proven this to be an effective method of staving off these…  _tears_  which made him wholly uncomfortable, after all – what did  _he_  know of silencing the tears of a human girl child? The only way he knew to end humans' begging was to simply rip their tongue from their mouth, effectively putting an end to such useless mutterings. That was  _not_  an acceptable solution, in this situation. He could not ever harm this girl, though, why his hand refused to strike, or what it was that staved off the title wave of disgust for her, when all others of her kind elicited only revulsion, would remain a mystery to him.

"Rin. Calm yourself." He ordered his voice sure and strong, despite the fact that there was a strange  _ache_  in the center of his chest that he could not identify with any word he knew, or compare to any feeling he had had before in his long life. It did not  _seem_  like the pain of injury, but… she was…  _hurting_  him. It  _hurt_  to see her…  _hurt._

_Why?_

Immediately the girl calmed, to the best of her ability, and sought to answer his previous question. She raised her eyes once more, dark and serious. The expression seemed so out of place on a child so young as her, but it seemed that what she was going to say was of the utmost importance to her – and the sincerity reflected in those depths unnerved him. Never had  _anything_  been so completely…  _heavy_  in her eyes. Even when she had been beaten black and blue – with the scent of adult human males all over her body – she had  _smiled_. There was no smile now, no light or easy laughter in her face.

"Please," she took a deep ragged breath, "Do not hate, Rin."

_Do not hate Rin… Do not hate Rin… Do not…_ _**hate…** _ _Rin???_

It was  _he_  who had  _failed_   _ **her.**_

It was he who had taken her to a place that was dangerous, because in his arrogance, and his  _distraction_  with  _other thoughts_ , he had been careless with her life – placing her within easy striking distance of his  _mother_  – the gatekeeper to hell. It was  _he_  who, despite his being the wielder of Tenseiga, had been unable to call her soul back from the depths of that dark place. Even when  _every other soul_  had been purified by him… still… Rin laid cold and dead in his single armed embrace.

She had seen him  _transform_ , and… there was no denying the girl had been…  _alarmed_. She had not realized the true nature or size of her guardian before that day, and – perhaps she had felt as if he may have deceived her, in some way. Tricked her into following him, by taking human form, only to discover he was a giant white beast, beneath the clever façade. True, the majority of the time he was in his humanoid form – but that was not what he truly was.

His ki was that of a great phantom dog, and the beast dwelled within. He was it and it was him and even in his human-like form the beast within lurked, constantly at the ready to reveal itself.

_The only time that beast within ever wagged its tail, was when Rin graced him with a smile. The only time it lowered its front end to ground and raised its haunches in a playful move… was when Rin played. The only time it whimpered was when the girl was in distress. The only time it curled up contentedly, with its tail covering its nose, was when the girl slumbered peacefully in his human lap._

His inner beast, more than he would ever admit, was attached to the girl. If only she knew how she had  _tamed_  him…

The thought was wholly ridiculous; a small human girl with a giant white demon guard dog, completely content to curl around her slumbering form, and willing to jump into battle to protect its young mistress.

Ready and willing to serve.

_HIM._

He was now the guard dog, and personal attack dog of a young  _human_ girl – who had been in existence for less than nine cycles of the seasons.

How utterly…  _ironic_.

He  _actually_  chuckled aloud at his ridiculous train of thought.

_Damn his youkai. Damn his youkai for choosing a human whelp as the one to serve and_ _**protect** _ **.**

His father's rumbling laugh was echoing off the furthest caverns of hell, Sesshomaru was sure of it.

Rin looked up, startled at his uncharacteristic chuckle, "Sesshomaru-sama?"

Immediately, he was serious once again. His lapse of character was brief, but real.

"This Sesshomaru  _does_   _not_ , and  _could not_   **hate** Rin." He admitted quietly.

The girl brightened immediately,  _so easy to please_ , he marveled. He had  _not_  said that he  _loved_  her, or even more than tolerated her. The fact he did not despise her very existence was enough to fill her scent with contented happiness.  _She asks nearly nothing of me._

"Rin, come." He removed his only hand from her cheek at long last, beckoning the girl to her usual sleeping place – on his lap, with his fur curled around her, and used to cushion her head.

The terrible great white beast inside him huffed, and curled around her in contentment.

The humanoid form merely rested his hand lightly on the side of her small dark head, occasionally running the backs of his knuckles over the skin of her smooth soft cheek.

Then, he stiffened.

The beast inside huffed again, a single sentiment, before falling into slumber.

_Mine._

Sesshomaru knew then that he was damned.

His youkai had chosen.

Rin was  _his_.

He felt the corners of his lips tip upwards slightly… Yes.  _His Rin._

~*~

*End Flashback*

Rin reached up and pulled him down for a kiss, her lips ghosting over his own. When she pulled back, she purred huskily, "On my hands and knees then?"

Sesshomaru felt himself harden instantly at her suggestion. The great beast inside licked it's chops; the humanoid form growled deeply. "In a moment. First…" He lowered himself, placing his head between her thighs and inhaling deeply. His long rough tongue coming out to lap at her sweet core. His own scent and taste still strongly present both on and  _in_  her most secret place.

The predator inside awakened, and he attacked her opening and bud unrelentingly with his oral ministrations. When she found completion under the caress of his lips and tongue he growled darkly, once again proclaiming, "MINE." Before he backed away and allowed his all too willing female to present herself for their mutual satisfaction.

He pumped into her body, long languid strokes. His chest to her back and his hands coming from underneath, hooked around her shoulders pulling her back to him as he came forward.

Oh yes… he was going to enjoy being mated – thoroughly.

 


	14. Bonding

Like all good things eventually the 'morning after' had to come to an end, and the reality of the situation presented itself in all its wonderful glory. Properly reassured and feeling much more like his usual self, Sesshomaru decides that it is time for 'business' as usual. The next three days are going to be eventful, and he has much to explain to his new mate, as well as human bonding ceremony to prepare for.

Reluctantly, Sesshomaru allows Rin to disentangle her limbs from his own and escape the loving embrace of his fur to stand and walk to the water basin, collecting a few cloths to cleanse herself with on the way. It amazes him how he cannot seem to stop staring at her. Even the simple movements she makes to wash away the sweat and wonderfully musky scented combination of both of their intimate fluids enchant him, and there is little in this world that could have distracted him from the graceful way she lifts each of her legs as she wipes her inner thighs.

"Urg, I need a real bath." She complains to herself aloud.

Instantly, his body stiffens and a low growl escapes as one corner of his upper lip curls back to reveal a gleaming canine fang. She will  _not_ wash away his scent before it has a chance to properly permeate her, and 'set', so as to become permanent. For the next three days, uncomfortable as she may be, he will bathe her only in his scent laden saliva, cleansing her with his tongue.

These next three days are absolutely crucial to the future of their relationship. These hours are to be spent building the strongest possible bond between the two of them. The mark will assist, but the bond must be built through ritual grooming, feeding, and care of the each other. Above all, they must be in close physical proximity of each other, and she must  _not_  be removed from his scent range. If their bond is soured in any way, it is possible the youkai within him will turn on her, and perceive her as a 'deserter' to their relationship. If his youkai feels she has rejected him, or she is not loyal and committed to him – he will be helpless to stop himself from instinctually killing his traitorous bitch.

"No bath." He warns, still growling at her. The mark he has given her has apparently gifted her with something in the way of youkai instinct, because Rin tips her head back and lifts her chin. Her tongue peaks out and licks her upper lip, as her human anatomy dictates that she in unable to lick her own nose and immediately his own lips settle back into familiar neutrality. Even though she has submitted to his edict without explanation, he feels it best to elaborate, she must  _understand_  the significance of these next days. "You will not wash my scent from your skin before it has a chance to settle and become permanent. Your hygiene will be seen to in ritual grooming sessions."

" _Grooming?"_ Rin puzzles aloud rhetorically, dropping her head back to a normal position, she finally makes her way to him and picks up her discarded sleeping yukata. She seems cautious now though, and holds it as though she expects him to inspect it, "May Rin dress?"

He smirks at the return of her submissive and childish speech patterns, "Yes, of course,  _this Sesshomaru_ "he emphasizes the use of third person and sees Rin's cheeks brighten in realization of her over-caution with him now, "will do so as well, momentarily."

With all the grace of his station he rises and uses the wash basin as well, noting the white rag comes away with the faintest hint of blood on it, from the loss of her maiden head. His smug satisfaction is tamped down by his sudden concern for her well being. Perhaps he should not have allowed them to mate again so soon after the taking of her innocence?

"Rin… are you… alright?" He looks her over with soft golden eyes, searching for any hint of discomfort in her stance or scent, yet he can find none, despite his decidedly rough treatment of her the night before, and their activities upon waking this morning. "Are you… sore? In any discomfort?"

Rin's cheeks flame and she looks down, knowing to what he is referring. The confident vixen of the night pervious has left her now and left a fifteen year old newly wed in its place, "I'm fine, I… think it's the effects of the shard." Her hand comes up to rest in the valley between her breasts, indicating the location of the magical object which will allow her to remain forever at his side, un-aging, healthy, uninjured and  _alive_.

"Hn." He nods, satisfied; satisfied until he hears her stomach growl, that is, "You are, however, hungy." He notes with amusement that she _again_  blushes.  _The girl is going to faint if she doesn't learn to control the rush of blood to her head._

"Yes." She nods, watching as Sesshomaru retrieves his clothing and hastily dresses, before he runs his fingers through his long hair, smoothing it into falling into a perfect silver waterfall down over his shoulders. Rin has never been able to get her own hair to behave in such a manner, and she self consciously tugs at the knots in her own hair, cursing the chopsticks for falling out in the heat of passion, leaving her hair ruly and wild appearing this morning.

Suddenly, he is behind her, running his claws through her hair for her and detangling the snarls with expert ease and efficiency. She must be presentable at all times, if she is to walk at the side of one such as he, and he cannot risk leaving her while he goes to inform the servants that a morning meal is required for his lady.

"Rin come. We will order a meal brought for you, and we will talk over your breakfast."

"Talk?" She says this as if having an entire conversation with him is not only unexpected, but a downright shocking idea to her. His lips curl up and his eyes sparkle with amusement,

"Yes, talk. I have much to explain to you about what will occur in these next three days. How you are to behave, and what will be expected of you if we are to bond properly."

"Bond?" Her eyebrows furrow and her nose scrunches. Her lips turn down as she considers what he's said. He can't help but be amused once again at the  _adorable_ , (there is that ridiculous terminology again), look on her face. He suddenly wraps his arm around her, flattening his hand on her lower back and dragging her to him. He gathers his ki beneath her feet, lifting her up to his level. He seals her lips with his own as she squeaks in surprise at being levitated off the ground so suddenly and forces his tongue past her lips, which yield easily to his insistent demand.

"Ummmmmm." She moans, hooking her arms loosely around his neck and tilting her head. When they finally disengage, both panting for air, he presses his forehead to her own and stoically as he can manage confirms for her, "Yes.  _Bond._ "

 


	15. Breakfast

Sitting in the room set aside for guest to dine, Rin sat across from Sesshomaru, smiling as dishes were brought out to her. Her breakfast consisted of rice with raw egg over it, and a few vegetables and pieces of raw tuna.

"Looks wonderful, thank you." She said to the servant girl who had brought the food. Rin noted that Sesshomaru was not having any thing to eat, but only sighed slightly and shook her head. He would never eat 'human' food.

Only after Sesshomaru had dismissed the servant girl, did Rin move to pick up her chop sticks to eat. She was startled slightly when Sesshomaru's large hand gripped her wrist, turning it over carefully, and took the chopsticks from her with his free hand.

"Sesshomaru?" she questioned.

"Allow me." He released her hand, and instead picked up her bowl of rice and egg. He carefully gathered some of the rice between the chop sticks and brought them to her lips.

Rin blushingly opened her mouth, feeling somewhat foolish. Why was he feeding her like she was a child? Still she complied, assuming that he had a reason for doing so, and, nervously rubbing the 'mark' at her shoulder, she considered that perhaps it had something to with the 'bonding rites' he had spoken of before.

"You are correct." He said suddenly.

"Huh?" Rin was confused. He was responding to her as though she had spoken aloud, but she knew she hadn't. Was he…  _reading her mind?_

_Yes._  Rin heard his voice echo in her head. She started, dropping her hand from the mark and looking nearly horrified. Was he going to be privy to all her most private and intimate thoughts now? This could be so awkward!

"How… how are you doing that?" Setting down the now empty bowl of rice, Sesshomaru regarded her calmly for a moment, attempting to send calming waves of energy to her before speaking again. He noticed Rin settle down and breathe deeply. "I can… smell… no…  _feel_ you…" she whispered in awe.

"We are connected now. We are able to send vague emotions to the other at any time, and  _direct_  telepathic communication is possible when you stimulate your own mark. Only at when you began to rub at it, could I read your direct thoughts, although I am aware of your emotional state, even beyond what your scent gives off, at all times. You, being human, will most likely only feel only my strongest emotions or those I intentionally covey to you, for now."

Rin frowned, "That's not fair! You already smell me so much more than I smell you and now you can sense me more than I sense you! That is _so_  not fair!"

Sesshomaru lifted his lips in a small toothless smile, "Which is precisely why I wish for our bond to become strong. You will undoubtedly experience the benefits of my mark far more if we cultivate a strong bond."

"Oh… okay." Rin's brows knit together in concentration once more, "You said that you could hear my thoughts if I stimulated my own mark… how do I read yours, if you don't have a mark? Can you read my thoughts if  _you_  are the one who touches my mark?"

_So many questions…_

" Though I am able to send my thoughts to you already, the mark has other purposes and benefitsas well, and if, after three days, our bond becomes strong enough… my inner youkai will appear and request you mark me as well." If it were in his nature, Sesshomaru would have blushed. He never did like to acknowledge the potential for his alpha inner youkai to submit to a female, but – it could not be denied. His instincts ruled all, when it came down to matters of mating. If his beast was suitably impressed with a mate he  _would_  submit to her, and _request_  to be marked as belonging to her. He had never considered that there would ever be a female who had the potential to bring his beast to all fours, crawling to her and begging for affection and praise. Unfortunately for his pride, there was little doubt in Sesshomaru's conscious mind that his sub-conscious mind would do just such a thing; when the time came he would acknowledge Rin as the only one to whom he would both kneel and bow to. His inner beast would  _beg_  for her acknowledgement and the  _right_  to protect her, serve her and defend her. It was only a matter of time. "As for what happens if it is  _I_  who stimulates your mark…" he leaned forward and brushed the back of a claw over the place where his fangs had been buried the night before, sending a thought to Rin's head, even as her face flushed and she squirmed, rubbing her knees together as tingles shot from the mark to her nipples, down her spine and straight to her intimate areas,

_It is erotic…_  She heard in her mind.

"Okay! Stop that!" she cried, loud enough to surprise them both. Quickly she regained her composure as he drew his hand away, and followed in a whisper, "don't you  _ever_  do that in public again!" she chastised, embarrassed at her body's involuntary reaction.

Sesshomaru looked, for a moment, like she had struck him. He had been over eager in his little 'demonstration, and had obviously angered and embarrassed her. He looked away for a moment, suitably chastised, though he offered no apology. He felt a small hand on his forearm, and he flicked his gaze back to Rin's.

"Only in  _public_." She whispered reassuringly.

Sesshomaru nodded awkwardly and picked up the plate of fish and chopsticks.

"Let us finish your meal, before we go and retrieve your things from my younger brother's residence, and speak to the monk once more."

Rin nodded and allowed him to feed her as he elaborated more on the 'bonding rites' and their importance, pausing every now and then answer any questions of hers, though she kept them to a minimum.

When they were done, as she was rising she snuck her fingertips beneath the 'v' shaped neckline of her yukata and thought,

_I love you._

She heard his footsteps pause behind her, and she glanced over her shoulder, her cheeks pink and her smile soft as she dropped both her hand and her eyes to her side.

He came to stand behind her and her head turned to face the front as his arm wrapped around her middle and his palm flattened against her stomach and he pressed the length of his body against hers. A stray lock of his hair fell over her shoulder when he leaned forward, and his lips brushed her ear as a low inaudible growl from deep in his chest vibrated against her back and a word escaped his lips in a warm rush of breath across the sensitive shell of her ear, causing her breath to hitch.

"Mmmmiiiiinnnneee."

Abruptly, he released her, taking the lead and walking as if nothing had happened back to their room, pausing to inform the servant girl that Rin would need to be dressed in the room, and to bring her kimono there, as Rin just stared on after him.

"Come Rin, don't dawdle." He called, without looking back at her.

A slow smile spread across her face, and she called back and skipped up behind him, "Hai, Sesshomaru-sa… Sesshomaru."

He ignored her slip-up and continued on. There was much to do today.

 


	16. Children

Walking through the village on the way to his brother's hut with Rin proved to be an exercise in both Sesshomaru's patience and tolerance. The whispers of the day before were back, although this time they were more directed at Rin than at him.

Many people commented on the noises which were heard coming from the inn. Some had speculated that he had killed her. Some said it had been accidental, and he had done so in the heat of passion, and his howl was one of remorse, while others assumed he that he had murdered her on purpose and his victory howl was made when his fangs sunk into her flesh.

It astounded him that the humans would still question his motivations after he had spent years providing for the girl's needs and catering even to some of her girlish desires for things such as combs mirrors and fans, lipcolor and hair decorations. If his motivation were to kill or devour her why would he have wasted time in first seeing to her comfort? He could have snapped her neck in an instant and devoured her in a single swallow, if he had chosen to. No demon played with their prey for so long before attacking.

The stupidity of humans never ceased to amaze him. It seemed only the children of the village were immune from spouting such nonsense. While many were afraid, an equal number of them seemed fascinated with the tall taiyoukai walking amongst their numbers. Several had expressed curiosity over his fur and a few had even expressed a desire to  _touch_  it. Perhaps Rin had not been so unique as he had origianally thought when she found him?

No.

At the moment he did not appear threatening beyond the fact that he was obviously youkai. When Rin had stumbled upon him he had growled at her with blazing red eyes and elongated fangs, presenting quite a frightening countance to any mortal – let alone one so young. It also seemed as if many of these kodomo ningen were familiar with Rin, and seemed to believe that anyone in her company must be trustworthy. It was a foolish notion, on the whole, but one that served his purposes well.

Passing the shops, a few of the pubescent males made remarks regarding his new mate, ranging from it being a 'shame' that one so attractive as Rin would choose to bind herself to a 'creature' such as himself, to saying that it a good thing they had been made aware of her 'perversions' in this way, and were grateful that they had not 'married' her before knowing of her 'devious desires'.

Many speculated on his 'behaviors' during 'love making' - wondering if he had 'humped her leg' or 'drooled' on her or any number of behaviors usually associated with mortal dogs that had nothing to do with him.  _As if he would be so base._

Never before had Sesshomaru seen anything amusing in his behaviors in the least. While, he did admit, there were several times that Inuyasha's inability to overcome his canine instincts had proven itself to be quite humorous.  _Sesshomaru_  did not go chasing after every random fallen tree branch that was thrown, or scratch his ears with his feet –  _at least in this form._

One particularly brave child escaped the watchful, or not so watchful, gaze of its mother and ran innocently towards Rin. She saw this and smiled, dropping down to great the boy at his level, while extending her arms for him, "Ichiro!"

Curious to witness the interaction, Sesshomaru halted his steps and observed Rin with the wayward ningen offspring. He wondered if she treated human children as warmly as she had treated his brother's children? To see a female so comfortable with young ones was… different. His own mother, while never cruel to him as a child, was very… distant. He had not many childhood memories that included her. He had often thought that he would require his own mate to be of a different temperament concerning offspring. Afterall, whelps prospered much more easily when they had consistant role models, something which he felt he had lacked, in the never ending parade of tutors and servants. He had been a… difficult child, and most did not last long in his company. The turn over rate in his caretakers was staggering. It did not help matters that the only adults with the authority to bring consequence to his actions were more often than not either absent or uninterested. Looking back, perhaps some of his less-than-desirable behaviors had been attempts to garner the attentions of the only adults who's opinons and attentions he cared for?

*~*~*~*

Again he was alone in the courtyard and bored. Again the other children would not play with him because he wanted to play 'war', (as usual) and they only wanted to play ball. They said they didn't want to play 'war' with him because he was always too 'rough'.

 _Weaklings!_   _'War' is supposed to be rough! How do they expect to win if they are always showing mercy to the enemy? Baka kodomo!_

No matter. Once he was big and strong he would never be ignored again! ALL would know his name and wish to be in his company!

No! Everyone would adore him so much! He would be the KING of EVERYTHING!!! He would have demons practically BEGGING to be his friend! He, Sesshomaru, would be the CENTER of it ALL! Just like his Lord Father was so loved by everyone in his lands, he too would be sought after, but not ONLY by those of the west – but EVERYONE, because he would conquer ALL the lands, rule everything and everyone and he could COMMAND them to play with him then! Being the Lord's first born they should have felt HONORED to be his playmates! And it was even _more_  unfair that his most recent nursemaid refused to  _make_  the other's play with him. He couldn't WAIT until HE could give the orders around this place… He'd have all those other whelps locked up in their rooms forever, and they could only come out if they agreed to play 'war' with him whenever he wanted! Yes! That's what he would do, when he was Lord.

When he was big and strong…

"Sesshomaru-kun! Come along, it is time for your calligraphy lessons, followed by ikebana practice." His instructor called out.

"Hn. Ikebana is a waste of time. No one arranges flowers on a battlefield. That's  _female_  stuff!" He huffed and made his way slowly towards the sliding shoji.

_When I'm bigger and my poison comes in I'm gonna melt every flower in the shiro so no one can make me practice Ikebana anymore!_

_This is so unfair!_

_Father promised he would take me to get a sword from Totosai and instead he goes off on his own again. He completely forgot about me! Stupid Father and his stupid fangs and this stupid shiro and stupid flowers and stupid EVERYTHING._

"That may be true, my young lord-to-be, but it was your father who ordered you be instructed in such a thing. Perhaps he thought you might learn something from it."

"Do not refer to this Sesshomaru as '–kun'. This Sesshomaru is '-sama' to you."

The instuctors gentle and amused smile did nothing to stem the young lord-to-be's annoyance as he agreed but chuckled softly under his breath, "Of course… Sesshomaru- _sama_."

~*~*~*~

Upon reaching her the small boy, even smaller than Rin had been when she first encountered him wounded in that grove, allowed himself to be lifted, wrapping his small arms around Rin's neck and wrapping his legs around her middle while seating himself on the shelf of her cocked hipbone. He smiled widely and hugged Rin tightly for a few moments before pulling back, still beaming at her.

"Are you doing well today?" Rin asked. The boy did not respond verbally, but instead continued to smile, while nodding vigorously, "Where is your Okaa-san?" Again the boy made no verbal response, instead turning and pointing in the general direction of a group of women, chatting and holding laundry. "Does she know you've run off?" Rin asked, with a slight playful accusation. When the boy only shook his head in the negative, Sesshomaru finally concluded that this boy, much like Rin had been when he found her, was mute.

"Rin?" There was no need to voice his question, she would know regardless.

"Uh… Ichigo is um… the same as Rin when you found her." Rin's answer was awkward, as she did not want to draw attention to the boy's condition in front of him.

"You care especially for this child?"

"Yes." Rin nodded, smiling and looking back at the young boy in her arms.

"I see. Put him down." Rin gave him a questioning look, but did as he commanded.

"Come here, boy." The boy slowly and hesitantly approached the diayoukai, glancing back at Rin who gave him an encouraging nod. When he got close, Sesshomaru came to his knees, and the boy stood before him. With his hands at his sides, he gave a small bow.

By now several villagers began to stare. The boy's mother had finally noticed him missing and when she saw her son standing before the demon her face froze in terror. She did not scream, as if afraid to startle the 'animal' that was so near to her son. No one moved, no one spoke, few dared to even breathe. No one could believe that Rin had allowed the boy so close.

"Ichi-" The mother began to call, but a single deadly glare from Sesshomaru and she was silent again.

"Your condition makes you weak, boy." Sesshomaru's clawed hand came out, lightly gripping the child's throat, "Wretched, and unfit to live." The boy showed confusion in his face, but not fear. He was likely more shocked at the insult than anything.  _Good. Keep him distracted._ Sesshomaru leaned in close to the boy and commanded softly, "Close your eyes."

With a flick of Sesshomaru's wrist the boy's neck was snapped, and he fell heavily on the ground in a lifeless heap.


	17. A Gift She Didn't Ask For

Rin gasped in shock, however she knew immediately Sesshomaru's intentions.

The same was not true of the villagers. The boy's mother screamed and made to run for him, while a few of the men drew their swords, intent on avenging the death of one of their own.

Rin looked around in horror at the chaotic scene her mate had caused and, even though his intentions were good she couldn't help but be angry with him.

_Damn his pride!_

Did he think he could kill a child in the middle of the village, in front of everyone, in front of the child's  _mother_ , without explaining himself or announcing his intentions and it would be  _okay_?

Sesshomaru watched impassively at the idiotic humans and their pointless anger. He smiled a tiny smug smile at how stupid they would feel when he brought the child back to life, healed of his malady. Perhaps they might even be grateful?  _Not that he cared or anything…_

Sesshomaru ignored the angry men with drawn swords who were screaming words of hatred and offering up pointless challenges they could not honestly hope to present to one such as himself.

Instead of acknowledging them he drew Tenseiga. This action had the effect of making the men of the village even more angry – for they now believed he intended to battle with them – than before.

"First he bewitches one of our women and rapes her, and then he kills one of our children! Let's vanquish this mononoke once and for all! C'mon men!" Screamed a particularly brave, or more likely a particularly stupid human man, who was near the front of the crowd.

Before the men could charge a red and white blur jumped in front of Rin and Sesshomaru with his own sword drawn.

"Everyone just calm the fuck down!" Inuyasha yelled to the angry mob advancing on his brother and his sister-inlaw. Inuyasha knew Sesshomaru was a bastard, but he would not have killed a helpless human child – especially in front of Rin. Something was going on here…

Sesshomaru, ignoring the growing angry mob completely, lowered his heavenly fang above the child's small and broken body.

He called it's aura, willing his sword to work, and both revive and heal the child his mate held such affections for, and felt such a connection with.

He had felt how she saw so much of her younger self in this small boy when she had held him in her arms, as she had wished someone would hold her. Heard the kindness in her voice when she spoke with him, as she wished others would have spoken with her, even though she could not have spoken back, just as she knew the boy could not respond to her either.

Compassion.

Rin had taught him the trait, and for her, he had always felt it most deeply. And for the child, Rin had felt it. Tenseiga worked because of and thrived on  _compassion_. Through her, through  _Rin_  – Sesshomaru himself had been able to feel it once again, this time for the boy. He realized that it was likely that it was Rin alone who payed the boy much mind – as evidenced by how easily his mother had lost track of him. Once he took Rin away from this place the boy would most likely be almost completely ignored, as Rin had been before he had… well, before  _she_  had found  _him_.

Rin would not want that.

Sesshomaru wanted nothing to be cause for Rin to feel either reluctance or hesitation when it came time for her to leave this villiage with him. He wished for her to be nothing but both eager and happy when she departed to embark on a life spent at his side, serving as his mate and lady of the Western Lands.

Sesshomaru's pride would be wounded if Rin were to have even the faintest of reservations about leaving this  _human_  settlement to be with _him._

He narrowed his eyes as Tenseiga pulsed in his grip and the messengers of the underworld appeared before his gaze.

_As a gift for Rin, Tenseiga, I ask you to revive and heal this boy… For Rin…_

The sword pulsed again and with two sure swipes Sesshomaru turned the messengers of death to wisps of smoke.

~*~*~*~*~

Inuyasha was beginning to have trouble holding the men back and the child's mother was nearly hysterical now, when suddenly the boy peaked his head around Inuyasha's hakama pant leg, peering at the angry mob with somewhat frightened wide eyes, but did as Rin had told him and very slowly and cautiously stepped out in front of Inuyasha and gave a small bow.

The mens' eyes grew wide and one by one, they dropped their swords in shock. One finally spoke up and in a shaky voice he called to the boy, "I… Ichiru??? Is that… Is that you?"

The boy shocked them all even more when he replied back in a quiet  _voice,_

"Hai…"

The boy's mother fainted.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Snapping her out of the shock the held her riveted to the spot as she watched the chaotic scene her mate had caused, Rin heard his deep, calm, and completely indifferent voice, call to her from her left "Rin, come."

Calm as ever Sesshomaru made his way around the trouble knot of humans that had formed itself around the 'miracle boy' and Rin followed with mixed emotions, noting distantly that Inuyasha was now following the pair with a scowl on his face, to match her puzzled frown.

What was she supposed to feel after that benevolent, but completely arrogant display?

She was… grateful, surprised, angry, happy, proud, amazed, annoyed, disgusted with his arrogance and how he thought he could just do as he pleased –  _kill_  a child in front of its mother and not  _explain_ himself or offer the poor woman reassurance…

_What was he_ _**thinking?!? Who** _ _does he think he is? Pulling a stunt like that for the whole village to see? That arrogant bastard!_

It was in that moment of anger and disgust when she felt large, strong, claw tipped fingers gently lace themselves between her small thin delicate ones and Sesshomaru lightly squeezed her hand. When she looked up into his face, Rin could clearly see the questioning look in his eyes and the downward turn of his mouth. He could sense that Rin's emotions were in a state of flux, and she was less than completely pleased with his actions concerning the boy she so cared for.

Rin could never  _stay_ angry with him though… especially when in the end he had done something so…  _kind_  – and so she bent her arm at the elbow and walked slightly behind him to adjust for their height differences, indicating that she wished for Sesshomaru to continue to hold her hand.

Three words echoed in her mind…

_For you, Beloved._

The final word echoed in her heart as well.

Though no one else heard it, she had – and it was the first time he had  _ever_  acknowledged…

Rin smiled brightly and squeezed back.

_Beloved…_

She could get used to hearing that.

One day she would ask him to say it aloud.


	18. Creature Comforts

Sesshomaru watched his brother set the crates down with a scowl and wrinkle of his nose… no doubt the Hanyou could smell the sex in the room, and being that it was the scent of _Sesshomaru_  he was having a hard time not losing his lunch.

He watched him retreat out of the room with not a glance over his shoulder, and breathed a silent breath, detesting the fact that his brother's scent was now in the room that he was expected to stay in for the next several days.

The day had worn his patience thin, dealing with the lecherous monk, while less vexing than dealing with nearly any other member of his brother's pack was an arduous task… especially when one was known to have had  _relations_  the night before.

Never the less the time and place for the human bonding ceremony had been set and he had said nothing as the miko had insisted that Rin and Sesshomaru 'leave the rest to her'. He was annoyed and apprehensive about leaving the planning of something like this to a woman who had willingly mated with his brother… in his mind this left her judgment quite…  _suspect_.

Rin had nodded and smiled politely, and giggled watching Inuyasha use a large stick and rope to rig the crates over his shoulders. Huffing and panting he'd bemoaned the fact that  _he_ was the one carrying Rin's things… However when Sesshomaru had reached out with a single hand and gripped the center of the stick, the large heavy crates tied on the ends like a scale, and effortless bared the burden with a single arm; Inuyasha had insisted he was more than strong enough to handle it and demanded to be the one to carry them.

_That fool is so easily manipulated…_

Sesshomaru held in his smirk as he handed the load back to his brother and walked – burden free – back to the inn with Rin attached to his elbow.

Rin was a forgiving soul and had seemingly pardoned him from any wrongdoing in the brief but dramatic death of the small child.

Now he was here in the inn with his mate once more, ready to relax. He was becoming hungry… but there was only  _human_  food available at the inn, and he could not leave his new mate to hunt… it was problematic, because he could only hunt if she accompanied him, and yet he was loathe to hunt in her presence.

He did not want her to see him in such an…  _animalistic_  state.

Yes, he hunted game… but the way he did so was anything but  _dignified_  and he had always hunted  _alone_. The one time he reverted to instinctual behaviors while in this form – save anger or sexual situations – was when he ate, and he always preferred to eat alone.

Still, it had been nearly six days since his last meal, as getting to Rin quickly had been his top priority, and he was feeling the effects of his self-neglect.

Surely he wouldn't  _die_  if he didn't eat for two more days, but a human could go weeks without food – that didn't mean they liked to, and it was the same with him.

Resigning himself to another night without raw fresh meat, he briefly considered… could he eat it  _cooked?_

Perhaps… he could choke it down?

"Do you require food, Rin?" he asked, suddenly hoping she'd say she was hungry. He had always made sure to feed Rin exceptionally well… especially after…

~*~

She had been with him almost five months, and he was, by now, not only used to her… He enjoyed her.

He enjoyed her tagging along with him, the sound of her feet padding the ground  _at his side_  and if he deigned to tilt his chin downward, seeing the top of her dark head and her ponytail bobbing with each step.

This day however she was falling behind, her steps slow and her breathing slightly labored. There was also this  _awful_  stench coming from her, and he was in search of a hotspring for her to bathe in, and rid herself of the odor.

Upon finding one, he looked at the small girl, whose cheeks were flushed and whose eyes dropped; slightly watery.

"Bathe here, Rin." He commanded.

He turned and sat on a rock, facing her, but staring off into the distance and paying no attention whatsoever beyond listening to make sure she didn't drown as she slipped her kimono over her head and stepped into the spring.

She pulled her ponytail out of her hair and set the small bit of leather it was tied with aside. Rin scrubbed her skin and ran her fingers through her hair. Completing her bathing rituals in expedient fashion.

Sesshomaru-sama did not like to be kept waiting.

When finally the warm water began to get to her and fatigue set in, she did sit down on a rock, attempting to soak. Her little body ached and the steam had unplugged her stuffy nose and now it was running.

She was sick.

Rin knew she was sick, but she knew something else as well…

Sesshomaru-sama did not like…  _inconviences._

If she was too much trouble, he might get rid of her. Rin would rather die than leave Sesshomaru-sama and return to life as an orphaned outcast in some human village.

Only a few minutes later Sesshomaru-sama commanded that she exit the onsen with the same detached tone he always used, but for once in her life, Rin was slow to follow his command. The water felt so good on her aching muscles and she could finally breath through her nose again and… she just felt so  _icky._

Rin stood and turned to him, intent on asking for something she almost  _never_  asked for.

More TIME. It seemed odd that he would be so impatient, and always in such a hurry, considering that time meant nothing to him… Rin supposed he was simply a restless spirit by nature, always needing to be on-the-go in order to feel content. The odd thing was, Rin knew that despite the fact that Sesshomaru-sama was in a hurry… he was never really  _going_  anywhere.

There was no sign of Naraku. He'd given up on Tetsusaiga. He had his sword, tokijin. There was nothing for him to really  _do._

Rin could simply intuit that he seemed more as if he were  _running_  from something. It was as if he thought he could outrun his past, his feelings,  _himself_  – if only he kept moving. He never wanted to catch up to himself.

He especially didn't want to go… home.

_He must have had a home at some point, right? He is a daimyo, daimyo no nishie. That title must mean he has a home, right?_

"Sesshomaru-sama?" Rin called, standing in the knee high water.

"What is it?" His face turned to face her and for a moment Rin thought she saw shock in the widening of his eyes as he looked at her – naked – for the first time ever.

Sesshomaru was hard pressed not to outright  _gasp_ when he saw Rin nude for the first time. While he always guarded the area she bathed in, or commanded Jaken to do so, he'd never bothered to pay attention to her, beyond seeing that she didn't drown, and wasn't attacked, eaten or carried off by some other Youkai or human.

_**Rin was bone thin.** _

How… how had her appreance changed so drastically without his noticing… moreover…  _Why_ had it changed?

Sesshomaru was no expert on human physiology… but he was reasonably sure that the breast bone of an eight year old girl should not show her sternum in such stark relief.

"May Rin please stay in for a few more minutes?" The small girl asked, seemingly oblivious to her deteriorating health.

Sesshomaru gave a dip of his chin as his permission while he pondered the possible causes of her reed-thin frame.

The most logical explanation was that she was not getting enough nourishment… But he'd even recently taken to giving her food if she was unable to find any for a day or two. Clearly, this was insufficient.

"Rin." He called, and when she turned to him with a 'hai' he paused.

_Was he really doing this? Was he really learning about humans for her sake?_

_How far the mighty had fallen, and to be felled by an eight year old human girl-child?_

_Pathetic… Still…_

"How often does the average human consume food?"

The question shocked Rin. True, she ate almost once every day… but it was usually just a few mushrooms or some stolen crop. Rarely, she was fortunate enough to catch fish. She was hungry… often. But unless she was really desperate, she didn't ask to stop. She had  _tried_  not to be a nuiscience with her needs… Was he going to say she had to eat  _less_   _often_ , because she was taking up too much time in her searches for edibles?

She didn't want to tell him… He would surely think she was too much trouble… but… He could smell if she lied.

Nervously, she answered, in hushed tone, "When Rin lived with her family, she ate three times each day, Sesshomaru-sama." She was quick to add, "But Rin doesn't need that much! Rin is fine!"

The girl reaked of that disgusting smell, and now fear… Why would such an inquiry produce such results? Sesshomaru was puzzled.

Then Sesshomaru was shocked, again.

_Most require food three times each day… And yet… The girl eats only once a day, or sometimes goes one or two days without consuming food?_

Now, Sesshomaru was angry. It would not do to have a thin and underfed child follow him. Her appearance and state of health was a direct reflection on him. What good was a silk kimono if it fell off of an impossibly thin frame?

"Why is this was not brought to the attention of this Sesshomaru, before now?"

_Why had she allowed herself to suffer hunger? That was one of the things he'd been attempting to save her from!_

_Save her… him… not tenseiga..._ _**him.** _

**Yes. HE had saved the girl.**  Not the formerly lifeless sword. It could not be activated without a caring master, so it was him who had saved the girl…

_It was him who had turned around to investigate the scent of her blood, in the first place._

And she was his responsibility.

"Rin didn't want to be any trouble to Sesshomaru-sama." Rin answered honestly, hoping he'd see that she really didn't want to inconvenience him with her petty 'human things'. After all, on the rare times he left her because a clue to Naraku's whereabouts had been discovered, she got to eat as much as she could find near camp, as often as she wanted. It was only when they were always on the go that it became an issue.

Her answer shocked him. Rin should not suffer for his ignorance of humans… it was  _wrong_. The girl was no trouble, ever. He would not mind the waiting, if it meant her health and well-being were maintained.

Suddenly there was a feeling of…  _guilt_. He had neglected her. Even if it were unknowingly, it was not acceptable.

"You will stop for food three times throughout each day, from now on." He commanded, watching her consider this.

"But… Will Sesshomaru-sama always wait for Rin?" The worry in her voice; the fear of abandonment was obvious, even if he couldn't have also scented it.

"Yes. You will keep this Sesshomaru apprised of any changes in your health or needs, and such things will be accommodated within reason."

When Rin told him she was also 'sick' it struck him hard. For the first time in a very long time, Sesshomaru held camp for nearly a week and a half, allowing his girl to recover.

During that time, he hunted for her, and commanded Jaken to gather for her.

Rin would suffer hunger no longer, and never again.

~*~

"Yes, dinner sounds like a wonderful idea! Would you like me to order you up something raw? Beef or perhaps pork? After all, you must be hungry as well, and I know you'd never eat anything we cooked!" Her smile and the easy way she teased him was something that he'd never experienced with anyone else, and it made him all the more convinced of the 'rightness' of his decision to mate with her.

Rin was always so easy with him, and he didn't feel so…  _lonely_ … when she was at his side. She… understood him, like no other ever had before.

"Yes. Beef, raw and cubed."

"Hai!" Rin responded with her usual enthusiasm, before calling for a servant to bring food, "When we're done eating, what do you want to do then?"

Sesshomaru cocked a brow… She made this too easy, really. Even someone as inept as he was in these… things… could easily make a flirtacious sugguestion.

"Did you not say you wished for a bath?" The over-bright gleam in his amber eyes was the only sign of his amusement with himself.

"Oh, but… You said that…" Rin trailed off, blushing furiously and lowering her head, only to peak up her eyes at him, "Yes. Rin would most definitely like a bath."

The quick flash of red in his eyes was nearly imperceptible, but Rin had clearly felt the sudden surge in him through her mark.

Apparently, she'd responded in a way that pleased and excited him.

By the Kami, the girl was perfect… responded to his every advance, clumsy though they may sometimes be… it was for these reasons that he _loved_  the girl.

Rin.


	19. Bath Time

The meal was passed in near silence, and with every bite Rin could feel her body hum with anticipation.

Rin watched as Sesshomaru begrudgingly choked down the raw beef cubes held from the end of her chopsticks and giggled when a stray thought of how much he missed the fresh blood on his tongue accidentally made its way to her mind.

He'd blanched at the realization but Rin was under no girly-illusions about her demon-mate and knew he was not human, and measured his morality by a far different standard.

When the meal was finally finished and both sets of chopsticks were broken, the tray set outside the shoji it was then than Rin felt her face heat up even more… She knew what was coming.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Sesshomaru watched Rin's every graceful movement as she moved their dishes to the outside of the room and silently contemplated the idea of running his tongue over her body… Each and every inch.

Her ever increasing arousal and anticipation could be felt and scented so  _clearly_ …

_How had his father denied himself this sort of connection… Simply in favor of philandering about with worthless whores._

_A whore in a princess's robes was still a whore. Dirty human BITCH._

The unexpected flare of anger startled Rin and she turned to him with wide alarmed eyes. It was only the grace of the kami that allowed for her ignorance of Sesshomaru's unexpected train of thought.

_Rin is not Izayoi… Rin is not like other humans… Rin is special._

_Rin is acceptance… Rin is love… Rin is_ _**life** _ **.**

He could feel the innocence and radiate off of her, despite the fact that she was no longer a virgin. There was nothing about her he could consider 'sullied'…

_Rin is perfect… a perfect mate to this Sesshomaru. His opposite and compliment, all wrapped up into one small, neat package._

His feelings shifted again, and suddenly he  _wanted_ her; wanted to reaffirm his claim over her.

_His instincts would dictate that he copulate with her until she was impregnated with his seed and scent entirely._

"It is time." He declared in his familiar clear cool tone – but Rin could easily feel the hint of tension lurking just beneath the surface.

She nodded and rose to her knees.

His eyes burned brightly as Rin approached on her knees. He reached forward slowly and cupped her jawline.

"Come closer, Rin." His voice slipped out like soft smoke on a breeze and for a moment she wasn't sure she could respond to his softly spoken command.

Almost as if on instinct her body leaned forward and found a spot between his legs, which were spread in a 'V' with bent knees. Rin soon found the back of her head crushed to his chest and his fingers woven in her hair.

His sharp claws traveled down the back of her neck, pulling at the strands of hair and a shiver ran through her at his touch.

He did not have to resort to touching the mark on her neck, every contact of the tips of his fingers gliding down the silk covering her back had her blushing furiously.

Rin had asked for a simple butterfly knot in her obi this morning, and was glad she had. He pulled the center with one harsh tug and it loosened. With another harsh tug at the hidden knot beneath the decorative one, her robes loosed even more, widening the 'V' of her neck line.

He hooked a finger at the dip of the kimono in the back of her neck and Rin rolled her shoulders back.

With precision and unhurried movements Sesshomaru removed the rest of her complicated ties and spread the silk of her garments. When they were finally totally lose he tossed them aside carelessly.

A hand with no stripes or claws ran along the length of her spine and Rin finally tipped her chin to meet his eyes.

He bent down, his large frame dwarfing her small one and brought his lips to the shell of her ear, his breath passing over and tingling the nerve endings.

"Lay back" he whispered, lowering his arm to support her weight and she closed her eyes and let him lay her before him… A much tastier meal than the one he'd just eaten.

Rin expected to feel his warm solid body immediately cover her own, but instead she found him grasping her foot. Her zori were haphazardly discarded and her tabi peeled away, leaving her totally bare.

Her eyebrows scrunched and when she felt grip and cradle the back of her ankle in one large hand and gently stretch her leg upwards, she threw her head back – once more exposing her neck and signaling her total submission.

She wasn't sure what he was going to do… But she trusted him, entirely.

When Rin could feel an alien warmth on her largest toe and suddenly a sinewy muscle burrow between that toe and the second, she opened her mouth in surprise. When she felt the oft-neglected digit sucked into the hot wet cavern of her lover's mouth, without even feeling a hint of the dangerous fangs she knew were there, she sucked in a breath and cried out.

Each individual toe was cleansed in such a way, and Rin fought not to squirm as the bottoms of her feet were thoroughly licked as well.

His tongue trailed upwards, over her a single ankle, and upwards in long wet swipes of his tongue to each knee, before he switched legs and repeated the actions.

Rin felt him move to the inner sensitive skin of her thigh, just above the knee and could already feel the tingling wetness creeping to her most intimate areas.

 _Higher… Go higher…_  Her mind begged.

But…

It was not to be…

Instead he leaned forward and crawled up her small body, his billowing sashanuki hakama brushing against her nudity as he moved.

Sesshomaru stopped and straddled her, himself still completely clothed, and surprised her again by leaning down and reaching to the side – grabbing her hand.

Each finger was taken into his mouth, licked and sucked and Rin had the vaguest wondering if this was even a hint of what he felt like when she would take him into her mouth? She supposed she'd never know anything beyond the reactions that produced, but it was interesting to ponder anyway.

Upwards, and over… Her wrist, her elbows her upper arms to her shoulders and finally to the sensitive skin of her neck.

So patient… So slow… Such intimate attentions to each and every inch of her flushed skin…

"Sesshomaru!" she moaned, when it seemed he was ready to begin a southward journey, letting go and ceasing the sucking of the rounded edge of her collar bone and lapping over her chest, above her breasts. Her nipples were already hard, and aching for stimulation and when she cried his name she felt the smirk of his lips move against her skin.

"Yes, Rin?" He mumbled his taunting into the skin between her breasts, and inbetween his smooth light licks of her salty-sweaty skin.

_This isn't really working as a 'bath'… He's just making me hot… and I'm just sweating and… … … even more than before._

Rin groaned and refused to respond, and in return she felt a small nip to the side of her breast. It didn't hurt – but it certainly got her attention…

"Speak." He commanded, and Rin didn't have time to think about the hilarity of a  _dog_  ordering a  _human_  to 'speak' before she answered.

"I… I… I don't really think this is working…" Sesshomaru ran his hand over her breast, slid to the curve of her waist, down over her him and settled his warm large hand directly over Rin's wet center.

"I believe, Rin, that it seems to be 'working' more than adequately, considering the intentions of This Sesshoumaru." A long finger ran along her wet seem and slipped inside of her and Rin bucked up in response while drawing panting breaths.

He moved slowly, pumping in and out and making light circles over the rough raised place within her.

"I thought… I thought you said 'bath'?" Rin protested weakly, despite the fact that her hips were now moving in circles in time with his motions, as she desperately sought more contact.

She didn't notice that Sesshomaru had used his other hand to untie his hakama until the flash of unexpected youki blew his kimono and juban open, exposing his chest – they were conveniently not tied appropriately.

_He… He planned this!_

She almost could have been angry, but right now the dark jagged stripes on his cheeks and the glowing amber eyes were far too entrancing for her to focus on any sort of 'afront' she may have felt at his planning to seduce her – and her succumbing so easily.

He removed his finger from her passage and pulled the open silk over his broad well muscled shoulders and arms and slipped his hakama to the floor. His fundoshi was sliced open and the obvious evidence of his arousal was exposed to her, for only a moment before he lowered himself to cover her.

Rin buried her face in his neck and groaned as she felt him grip his erection and slide it along her wet sex.

He mumbled into her ear, "I lied."

Rin groaned again and lifted her hips at the same time he pushed his forward, allowing him to press himself into her. Her hands reached far down and cupped his backside – willing him to shove himself into her faster and harder.

"Oh!"

She was so full! He was so thick and hot and hard and the throb of him inside her was something that would always blow her mind – she hoped.

He growled deeply in his chest and pulled back, before shoving himself sharply forward once again.

"Yes!" Rin whispered, praising his actions and letting him know she wanted him to continue in such a 'rough' manner… She didn't want him to be 'careful' with her, she wanted it hard and fast.

He bowed his back and pressed his forehead to her own while wrapping his arms around her shoulders and hugging her to him.

_This should be uncomfortable… Laying on the uneven surface of his arms against the floor… Why can't I feel that?_

It was only then she noticed that his youki was gathered beneath her and with his next thrust the phantom wind pushed against her lower back and shoved her hips forward with his.

"Oh, God!" She cried out, as his rhythm increased and his small grunts and low growls filled her ears.

_Making love to a daiyoukai…_

She wasn't sure how he could focus to control his ki that way – or if he even  _was_  doing it on purpose – but by the gods right now she didn't care.

Each movement was hard and fast and the pressure in her belly tightened as her sex thickened and swelled to keep him trapped in a strangle hold of passion and desire while he dragged himself in and out of her sweet, tight friction.

"Rrrrrrrriiiiiinnnn…" He growled pressing her against him when he felt her walls clamp around him in a final effort before she clenched and fluttered and squeezed around his aching member.

With a final rough thrust of his hips he stilled his motions and felt himself expand once again within her – the relief of his release pouring out in hot sticky squirts and filling her with his own liquid satisfaction.

_Making love to a human woman woman…_

She was incredible.


	20. Demonstration (Flashback Chapter)

Flashback chapter

~*~

"Get up." Sango hovered over the nine year old girl.

"Stop it! Please Sango-sama!" Rin was close to tears. She hated this. She didn't mind her lessons in healing, in herbs, in writing hiragana, or any of the other things… but she hated her time spent with Sango-sama. Still, she got up.

"Draw." Rin glanced to the wooden sword at her hip and the intense look in Sango-sama's eyes… she didn't want to draw that sword, because as soon as she did, Sango-sama would come at her again and she'd panic and be on her butt.

"I… I don't want to." She confessed.

"Are you afraid of defeat?" Sango condescended. She was getting tired of this. It was common knowledge that Rin would most likely end up going back to Sesshomaru and if she couldn't defend herself when he was gone the girl was as good as dead. Who knew how much time she had to train her? Who knew when the next visit would come and Sesshomaru would give Rin the chance she so obviously wanted, to return to his side.

"No… I just…" Rin didn't know why it was that she hated this so much. It wasn't as if pain was a foreign concept to her and she'd long ago learned to take a beating… She didn't want to hurt anyone else though… besides… she shouldn't have to wield a sword…

Sesshomaru-sama would do that  _for_  her. What if she became strong, and he thought she didn't need him anymore?

Was that what this was? Trying to make her not need her Sesshomaru-sama anymore? Is that why they made her train like this?

"You wish to remain weak?" There was something like derision in Sango's tone. This was getting ridiculous, she didn't understand the girl's reasoning, "Why?"

"Rin needs Sesshomaru-sama." The girl whispered… Something she often said when a task was 'too hard' and she wanted to give up… but for the first time the light clicked on in Sango's head…

Rin… Needs… Sesshomaru-sama.

She wasn't saying she needed him to do it for her… She was saying she didn't want to NOT need him anymore.

"Do you think Sesshomaru-sama will suffer a WEAK human girl at his side? Do you not think you will burden him if you do not learn to do for yourself? Do you not think that's why he left you in the care of our group?"

_A…Burden???_

Rin had never thought about it. When she called, he came. That was that. But… was it… going out of his way to come and save her?

Was she…  _a burden?_

Rin got to her feet and drew her sword, suddenly ready for another round.

"Rin will not be a burden to Sesshomaru-sama." Her eyes had a new determination in them.

~*~

5 years (and lots of training with Sango and Kagome) later.

~*~

"Here. Sango said you needed a proper weapon… and since I was going to Totosai's anyway to pick up the sword for my kid…"

A bone bow made from Inuyasha's fangs was pushed into her hand.

"Inu…ya…sha…sama…" Rin didn't know what to say to her adopted older brother. His fangs were a VERY personal thing and…

She threw herself into his arms and he wrinkled his nose as her shoulder was pushed under the sensitive appendage. The shoulder of her Taijiya training outfit held scent pellets, and they burned his nose terribly.

"Yeah, yeah… Get off me brat!" He shoved her away, but she still just gave him a smile… He was always like that, and it didn't mean he cared about her any less.

"Tell my wife she don't gotta worry about you breakin no more o' her bows, okay?" Rin was known for snapping not only bow strings, but actual  _bows_  with the strength behind her shots. This bow was strung with his own youkai hair, and shouldn't break no matter how hard she pulled on it.

Kagome could breathe easy and stop complaining now… And if  _she_ was happy, then  _he_ was happy.

~*~

"You smell of horses."

Rin blushed, she'd never been entirely comfortable around him, once she'd realized how much his nose could tell him.

"Rin was training."

"Training?" He raised a brow at her statement. Was she learning to be a healer to animals as well?

"Rin was practicing shooting an arrow from her new bow while riding on a horse." There was no pride in her statement, in fact, she seemed embaressed more than anything.

"You are proficient with a bow?" Now he was curious… And slightly amused, "You will demonstrate your ability for this Sesshomaru." He decided, before Rin could answer him.

"Uhhh…" Rin really did not want to do this… He was…  _Sesshomaru-sama_ and any skill she had would likely be  _nothing_ to him. She'd probably embaress herself.

"Rin." He said sternly, and she instantly obeyed the unspoken command. Rin shot off to retrieve her bow and arrows.

~*~

"You will aim  _here_." He indicated the area where his heart would be.

"But!" Rin was  _not_ going to aim for him… He wasn't even wearing armor! She could kill him!

"I do not repeat myself, Rin."

"No!" For the first time in her life, Rin defied her Lord's command openly.

In an instant, before she could even blink he was standing before her growling. She gasped and shot her head upwards, trying to figure out what was going on. "You doubt me? You believe that  _you,_ a foolish mortal  _little girl_  have the ability to  _harm_  this Sesshomaru? You are so arrogant?"

She'd insulted him. Rin's large brown eyes started to water, and she only dropped her head and shook it in the negative.

"Then you  _will_  aim your arrow where I indicate and you  _will_ attempt to hit the target.  _You will fail,_  but you will make the attempt, regardless. Do you understand?"

Suddenly… Rin smiled… But it was not a nice smile.

"Yes, Sesshomaru-sama." She chirped, overly bright.

He turned around, giving her his back, and walked slowly back to his place across the field from her.

_Arrogant? I'll show him who's arrogant!_

While he was turned Rin laid a single arrow along the inside of her sleeve, running parallel to her forearm. It was almost too long to fit, but she made it work.

When he turned back around, Rin grabbed a different arrow from her quill and notched it.

"Now." He commanded.

Rin let the arrow fly and watched as he effortlessly captured it between his fingertips, turning it to ash.

He glanced down to asses her aim, ready to make a comment praising her accuracy as his hand carelessly (and foolishly) dropped from the front of his body.

He heard a 'snap' from a distance and his head shot up.

By the time he lifted his head to look at what she could have possibly been doing it was too late. He caught the arrow just as the tip pierced his skin by millimeters… Drawing blood.

_Sneaky bitch…_

He yanked the tip of the arrow from his flesh and watched as red blood seeped from the small wound around the torn edges of the hole in his kimono.

He smiled.

A genuine smile.

He glanced up at the playfully smug brown eyes across the field from him and she gave him a sheepish grin in return.

_Good girl, Rin._

Now… He'd just have to ask his brother why it was that the girl was wielding  _his_ fangs…


	21. Unexpected Guest

Rin awoke to her mate nuzzling into her neck, and tickling her ear with his warm breath. The night before had started with a 'bath' and turned into an all night love-making session, that, she was certain, without the benefits of the shard in her chest, would have left her quite sore this morning.

"Ummm…" She giggled, rolling over and curling her nude body into his chest. She scooted down his taller body and bumped the underside of his chin with her nose several times, licking his Adam's apple and earning a soft growl for her efforts in responding to him as she knew an mesuinuyoukai mate would have.

"Ohaiyo" Rin whispered, smoothing her hand along his side and landing on the dual-stripes of her mate's hip, using a single fingertip to trace the outlines of those markings which warned of his venom to any and all who would think to trifle with him.

It was strange that while those markings were yet more proof of how  _deadly_ he could be, if provoked, Rin could not help but find them… _erotic_  looking.

Exotically beautiful.

From his flawless pale skin without a single freckle, a single birthmark, to his amberine eyes that glowed deadly red when he was angered or threatened… His moonlit hair that was thick and silky as it swayed while he walked; as if he were followed by his own personal breeze. Even the gods wished to highlight his ethereal beauty.

Having never seen him nude before these last few days, Rin was allowing herself the indulgence of simply staring at him; running her hands over the areas of his body she could and letting herself feel the breathless anticipation of knowing that, if she so desired… She could do _anything_ she wanted to with this demi-god laying at her side… She could…  _touch_ him,  _taste_ him,  _stroke_ him,  _have_ him… He would allow it; allow  _her_ … Even, though she would never understand why (what made  _her_ so special?), welcome and  _enjoy_ her advances…

The broad expanse of his muscular chest; toned but not bulky… The angle of his jawline, strangely androgynous… Soft and sculpted without being square and dull looking. No stubble to be seen. His tapered slender hips and long lean legs… His firm rounded backside… His hands; starkly different from one another, one with razor sharp talons, the other with what could have passed for simply well-groomed fingernails, the deadlier of the two which lead to a delicately striped wrist, however both led further still to well-muscled biceps and squared shoulders. Thick rounded collar bones with a dip before corded musculature which brought her to his long, elegant neck and back again to the chest she'd been so admiring only moments before.

Every inch of him conspired to make her heartbeat race in her chest; the sum of his parts being still somehow not equal in grandeur to the whole of  _him._

"Rrrriiinnnn…" His baritone broke the early morning silence and the meditation of simply admiring him – laying nude on his side with mokomoko haloed around his body while sunlight peaked through the shafts in the wooden slats which kept the window closed and moved over the dips, curves, and cut of his muscles – making Rin shiver and her nipples harden.

"My Lord," Rin replied breathlessly, though she knew she no longer  _had to_ use his title, there were moments, when she  _wanted to_.

Not to show she was inferior… But to reinforce to him the level of esteem in which she held him; to communicate her  _respect_ , her  _awe_ , her _gratitude_ , and her  _devotion_ … No matter  _what else_  he was to her – guardian, protector, husband, lover, mate, guide, teacher, authority figure, alpha male… He would  _always_ also be…

**Her** _**Lord.** _

~*~

Sesshoumaru watched as Rin's eyes and fingertips moved over his body… Wondering what it was she was seeing? Something foreign? Some strange alien creature that she mated with, ignoring the differences in physicality; able to overcome them due to some human emotional sentiment she felt for him? Was the arousal she felt for him merely an emotional reaction, or did she truly find him as… physically appealing as he did her?

It seemed she was focusing on each and every characteristic of his that made him  _different_ from her. She focused on his markings, his hair, his eyes, ran her fingers over his pale skin, down to first his clawed hand, then over to his 'new' hand, and up along his imperfect arm – tracing the scar of the connecting point of this recovered limb with her fingertips before swiping along his shoulders and back to his neck.

What must he look like to her human eyes?

The scent of sex was so strong in the room, and not only the scent of sex, but his own scent lingered on  _her_ so strongly that he couldn't scent her properly to attempt to gauge her current emotional state that way. For him to not be able to properly scent her was the equivalent of a human being blindfolded.

Scent was  _everything_ to him.

All the mark on her neck told him was that she was slightly… Agitated. Excited, though he could not tell what  _type_ of excitement that  _was._ As though she were waiting for something. Also, he felt the respect she held for him, though, that was nothing new…

"Rrrrriiiinnn…" He growled out, becoming slightly uncomfortable as she continued to ogle him.

Only when he saw her shiver, and her nipples harden along with the sound of her heartbeat increasing slightly did he come to the conclusion she may be…  _aroused_ … by looking at him, and at that moment he decided not to care if her arousal and desires were caused by human sentiment or if it was the result of her finding his physical form appealing to her primitive mating instincts, as it was with him. (Did humans have mating instincts that were anything like an inuyoukai's? Certainly they must… right?)

"My Lord…" The sound of her voice and the way her body pressed into his even more closely was confirmation enough she desired intimate activities… But she was suddenly  _formal_ with him, when he'd previously communicated that such was unnecessary.

This strange dichotomy made him cautious.

"Rin.  _I_ have told you before that formality between us is no longer -" He emphasized his familiar speech, hoping she too would go back to being familiar with him. He didn't know what to  _do_ when she was sending every signal in the world she wished to mate, yet put verbal distance between them… And he  _sorely_ wanted her again. His body's reactions were proof enough of that, he thought, feeling himself become fully hardened as her knee moved against him when she squirmed upwards and forwards, placing her lips at his pointed ear.

"Indulge me…" She breathed lightly; careful of his sensitive hearing and her proximity to his ear.

Not entirely certain he knew what she meant, he nevertheless curled his arm around her waist and moved his hand to her firm posterior, massaging and squeezing lightly; shoving her hips forward to press himself against her, allowing her to feel his hot, hard arousal against her pubic mound and soft belly.

Her reaction was to drape her leg over his hip, and groan, "Sesshoumaru- _sama_ …"

The addition of the honorific pulled him from the moment, and, finally conceding defeat, and needing to  _understand_ what she was doing, he ceased grinding himself against her and pulled back to look her in the face. "Rin…?"

~*~

The apparent confusion on his face was so…  _cute…_ that Rin almost laughed. Almost. She knew by now that  _laughing_ at him in this situation would do nothing but cause him to shut-down completely. Vulnerability was never something he showed easily – even to her – and she couldn't risk that he might misunderstand her laughter.

It might ruin the mood… And right now, that was the  _last_ thing she wanted.

Still, Rin was  _Rin_ , and she  _was_ playful… "Can Rin tell Sesshoumaru-sama a secret?"

When he nodded the affirmative, she continued, "Rin never dared to dream her Lord would take her as his  _mate…_  But Rin  _did_  dream…"

The dark haired girl pressed her fingers to her mark, and filled his head with one of her favorite fantasies from the days when she would think of nothing but his return. In her fantasies, she was allowed to travel with him again as a servant of sorts… But a servant that was granted the privilege of serving him in certain  _ways._

Truthfully she'd never even had the hope of making it to concubine status. She was a low-born ningen orphan, he was a mighty and powerful lord of youkai. Him taking her as a  _wife_  and  _mate_  should be  _unheard of._

Convention would state that  _if_ he had ever deigned to bed with her it would be in an unofficial capacity and kept a secret at all costs… And… In all honesty, Rin was a fifteen year old girl who was so blinded by adoration and love that she would have undoubtedly agreed to such an arrangement. It wasn't even about a lack of respect for herself – it was that she had too much respect for  _him_ to sully his good name and reputation – But  _by the gods_ did she ever  _want_ him.

It would have been worth it to her. To be his  _whore_ would have been fine by her, because she  _loved_ him… And doing those things with only one person – who you loved – was something she could never have find shame in.

~*~

Sesshoumaru was shocked at the scene unfolding in his head. Equal parts of him were aroused and disturbed that Rin would think of him in such a manner. Aroused that she would have been sexually attracted to him regardless of if he'd granted her status or not – but disturbed that her fantasies included a version of him capable of  _using_ her for nothing but sexual pleasure with no care for her honor.

 _This Sesshoumaru would keep_ _ **no**_ _ningen as a whore…_ He thought – to  **himself.**

Rin watched his jaw go slack and his eyebrows raise and suddenly regretted being so  _frank_ with him. Perhaps she should have not informed him of this side of her psyche… The part of her that so was so dearly devoted to him that all she wished for was the opportunity to serve him in  _whatever_ way…

She pulled her hand from her mark and blushed scarlet, looking down and away. "You think I'm strange…don't you?"

"Rin." He could think of nothing to say.

"It's alright… We don't have to… I just thought… Wanted… Nevermind…" She buried her head in his chest, and sighed deeply.  _So much for_ _ **that**_ _idea…_ She had truly thought that with his dominant personality, he might  _like_ the concept of playing 'Lord' and 'Handmaiden'. It was just a game… A silly fantasy…

Unconsciously, she began to rub her suddenly tense shoulder muscle out of embarrassment, (most likely a habit she'd picked up from being around Miroku so often,) unknowingly sending her thoughts to him once again.

 _Yes. Silly. A Game. Since when have you_ _ **ever**_ _known Sesshoumaru-sama to be the 'playful' type? Gods, Rin… Sometimes you really_ are  _a moron. Of course he wouldn't think it was 'sexy' – of_ _ **course**_ _he'd just think it was_ _ **stupid,**_ _and childish_ _ **.**_ _Now he thinks_ _ **you're**_ _stupid - and some kinda weird pervert or something. Great. He thinks he mated to a childish pervert._

Rin sighed and dropped her hand, so Sesshoumaru was no longer privy to her train of thought, but he'd certainly heard enough. It was the _duty_ of a mate to fulfill the desires of their partner. Certainly, if  _he_ had some scenario he wished to act-out sexually, he would expect that Rin would hear him out and, provided it were not extreme, be willing to go ahead with it.

The trouble was, he simply wasn't that creative. He'd always simply wanted to  _mate._ He just wanted to be with a female… He'd never really gotten beyond that point. He wished to mate with a female – frills and fantasies and specific scenarios were never something he'd given much thought to. Rutting was rutting… Wasn't it?

Apparently not. Perhaps  _all_ females were so very…  _specific_ with their desires about the events surrounding mating or… perhaps it was a _human_ thing?

He suddenly wished very much that he would have covered this area with his brother during their little… discussion.

Either way, he'd been silent far too long and Rin's mood was rapidly declining and  _if_ he wanted to mate at all – and he  _did_ – the best way to assure that that happened was to go along with her desires and offer reassurance of his continued positive opinion of her.

So… She wanted him to act as a  _Lord_ and as  _mate –_ at the same time…? Those were two entirely different personas in his mind; two different roles to play. How on  _earth_ should he go about combining them?

Well… The easiest thing to do would be to follow her lead and take up a formal speech pattern.

"Rin," He grasped her hand, placing it on his still hard member, "This Sesshoumaru finds the idea to be…  _intriguing._ "

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Two days earlier – The Western Palace

"My lady, the…  _surveillance_ … reports you ordered." The servant bowed and presented the sealed scroll to Lady Tsubaki, who took it and broke the seal, scanning the contents carefully and allowing the corners of her lips to turn up.

_Three days? He is always in_ _**such** _ _a hurry._

The lady 'tsk'ed slightly and shook her head. She had a lot of work to do, and only a short time to do it in…

There was absolutely  _no way_ that she would allow her son to participate in a human binding ceremony in some small backwater village where she doubted highly that even appropriate  _garmets_ for his rank and position could be obtained… Let alone the substandard quality of the food and sake for the banquet immediately following such an event.

"Oh, Sesshoumaru… Whatever will your mother do with you?" She mused aloud. Simply because his new mate was  _human_ was  _no excuse_ for him to begin to lower his standard of living. It was his job to  _elevate_ her – not allow her to drag him down and begin to accept the standards of a commoner.

The lady quickly made up a list of people with whom she needed to have an immediate meeting, to make a 'plan of attack' on getting this little  _wedding_ up to standards befitting her son and his station.

"Contact several chefs, beaver youkai that will be able to quickly build using materials from the surrounding area, several seamstresses, an expert in flora and an ikebana master…" The list went on and on…

The next day the palace was abuzz with activity, and the following day necessary materials were being packed and carted into a demon-caravan. By nightfall they must take to the skies, after all.

The lady herself chose to travel alone, flying amongst the clouds in her true form ahead of the heavily guarded procession.

She wanted some  _time,_ after all, to speak to her son before the others arrived.

~*~*~*~*~

Laying sated and spent, lazily licking the sweat from the face and neck of his mate and relishing in the salty tang of her still-flushed skin, Sesshoumaru felt completely at ease.

He'd found he very much enjoyed Rin's mating-games, and vowed to come up with a few of his own for them to act out. Perhaps a midnight chase through the woods culminating in him capturing his 'prey' and 'devouring' her…  _intimately_???

More and more he was realizing that Rin  _very much_ enjoyed the more…  _beastly_ … aspects of him. She did not require or desire him to feign humanity. She was mated to a  _dog_ , and those parts of his behavior and desires that were distinctly  _canine_ in nature seemed to be something which fueled her amorous desires, rather than making her uncomfortable.

She seemed especially fond of his fur.

 _Some things never change._  He grinned, remembering how as she had traveled with him as a child, Rin has always loved to curl up in his fur and run her small fingers through it, nuzzle her face into it while deeply inhaling and had grinned larger and wide each time he had curled his demon-appendage around her small body in a strange but warm and fuzzy embrace. Rin had dubbed this a 'puppy hug', and had deamed any time he cleaned her face or hands with a quick and utilitarian swipe of his tongue a 'puppy kiss'.

 _Only to protect the small girl from the cold… Only to keep her clean and her scent from becoming unpleasant…_ He had reasoned at the time; ignoring the way she assigned affection to the gestures that he refused to acknowledge as signs of such… But he never corrected her.

He had done much in the way of fostering her adoration of him – if only because he remained mute on his "true" motivations whenever she took his care of her basic needs as evidence that he held 'affection' forher in return.

He never said "This Sesshoumaru is simply assuring that Rin does not contract illness from exposure to the elements; thus impedeing his progress. It is not a 'hug', Rin."

He let her believe what she wanted… And Rin wanted to believe that he was 'Strong and kind!' (as she had once insisted to a surprised and confused looking Totosai), and… He had never had anyone describe him as 'kind' before… And… He enjoyed that she saw him as such, regardless of if it were  _true_ or not.

If it was true for Rin… Then it was true enough.

Not only had he  _not_ corrected her; he had punished Jaken for attempting to correct her. If Jaken said that 'beneath that calm façade Sesshoumaru-sama is a boiling, seething mass of-', well he never got to finish the sentence and  _inform_ Rin of his opinions of Sesshoumaru's true nature, because he received a swift kick to the head to shut him up.

He would not have had  _the toad_ coloring Rin's idealized perception of him. Jaken was  _not_ going to do  _anything_ that might alter Rin's adoration of him.

The sad truth was… Sesshoumaru  _loved_  that Rin…  _loved_ him.

He would not have done anything to jeopardize that love… After all… Rin was  _the only one_ who had ever  _loved_ him.

And, as the 'Journey to Hell' had proved beyond any shadow of a doubt… Sesshoumaru had grown to  _love_ Rin as well.

Subconsciously on his part, that love would find expression in many ways, in the coming years. Chief among those his unselfish act of giving her to a woman who was better suited to care for Rin and teach her of "women's duties" than he was. Birthing, breastfeeding, menstruation… All those things he had specifically instructed Rin be taught of and trained in.

At the time, he never stopped to question  _why_ he was so pre-occupied with her learning of such things. She was still a good four to five years away from being able or ready to produce offspring, and yet he had  _insisted_ she learn to birth and care for them.

But truly… What were FIVE YEARS to one such as he? To his immortal mind, the five to six years it would take her to mature and become ready to bear his offspring were  _nothing_. To a human, it was as if waiting for mere  _weeks_. She grew up so fast that her time as an under-developed child meant  _nothing_ and was  _not_ how he 'saw' her.

Rin as a child was  _hardly_ the image he had of her in his mind when he thought of 'Rin'.

Her time as pre-pubescent had been so  _short_ to his perspective, that it was inconsequential when stacked against the time he'd known her as having sweet, soft curves and hips that swayed invitingly as she walked; being certain that the long hemline of her expensive kimonos swished in the way to best highlight their exquisite artistry.

Only after those curves and that soft rich fertile scent took hold on her slight frame did he realize where his odd obsession with insuring her knowledge of such things as 'childbirth' came from…

He now realized that he must have known, on some  _instinctual level,_ that if his 'love' was ever going to find it's natural evolutionary conclusion and it's final expression by the act of mating – then naturally Rin must be schooled in how to deal with the consequences of said activities. Obviously, the natural consequences of mating included offspring and having to care for them. It was  _necessary_ that Rin have knowledge of such things.

_This Sesshoumaru is more brilliant than even he realizes… Even plans that he himself has not realized he has made are most consistently and perfectly executed._

Sesshoumaru went from licking Rin's face to rubbing his nose beneath her earlobe and nibbling on her mating mark, huffing and growling softly in his chest when Rin gave an appreciative sigh. He was more than happy to go back to his previous musings while simply holding her against him possessively.

Rin was  _his_ … "Miiiiiiinnnneeeee…" He growled possessively into her ear, squeezing her rump and shoving his hips forward for good measure.

 _By her own choice…_ He added mentally. His pride swelled each and every time he thought of how  _enthusiastic_ she had been when he'd first suggested they become mates. That was not the face of a girl choosing a mate because she had nowhere else to go, or felt as though she were merely obligated after being the recipient of the generosity of a benefactor. Rin had been genuinely…  _excited_ with the prospect.

It was also necessary to his pride as a male, that Rin  _choose_ to be with him – and that that choice be an  _informed_ decision, with all other options equally presented. His pride would dictate that she would not mate with him simply because he was 'all she knew' and therefore didn't 'know better'.

He wanted her to  _choose_ him over the humans.

It had been a large gamble, certainly… But he had stacked the deck in his favor with frequent visits and fine gifts. Attention to the details of her upbringing and patrolling the borders of her village to ensure her safety had made him certain that the girl would  _live_ to make the  _choice_.

"Ummmm… Yesssss…  _Always…_ " The girl in his arms cuddled closer and sighed, letting her eyes close and her body go slack in his embrace. She was exhausted after how he'd worn her out,  _in the best way possible,_ only minutes before.

The couple's bliss was interrupted though, by a servant who appeared at the door, knocking timidly. "Excuse me, my Lord, my Lady… There is a… visitor who insisted on seeing the Lord."

A breeze came by through the open window and ruffled his fur, blowing his long hair about... A familiar scent wafting in on that same breeze.

_What on earth is_ _**she** _ _doing here?_

Suddenly he panicked. His… his  _mother_  was here.

What on earth could her purpose here be?

He cuddled Rin more closely, and felt his own chest begin to shake.  _If she comes near to my mate This Sesshoumaru will not hesitate to commit matricide._

Rin noticed Sesshoumaru's tension and felt her blood run cold. "Sesshoumaru… What's wrong?"

"My Lord?" The servant called once more.

"Tell her she may enter momentarily." He answered curtly; reluctantly releasing Rin from his grasp and raising up to walk over to where his clothing is neatly folded behind a privacy screen.

Instantly Rin rose to follow him, her nervousness showing on her face; wide uncertain eyes watching his every move. When she saw he meant to dress, Rin thought instantly of the chance to be a dutiful wife. An opportunity to do something for him beyond lay with him… Not that that wasn't quickly becoming her most pleasant and favorite 'duty'.

"May Rin assist you in dressing go-shujin?"

A curt nod and a small near-to-invisible smirk was her answer and Rin instantly went to work wrapping him in the layers of his fine silk garments and fastening his intricate knots.

When she was done, he looked somewhat more like his usual regal and self-composed self and Rin decided that if he was dressing, she should as well. She reached for her yukata and kosode – only to find they were not where she left them.

She turned to see Sesshoumaru holding her garmets in his hands. "Sesshoumaru?"

"This Sesshoumaru intends to return a favor." He intoned as seriously as he could.

Rin's eyebrows shot up and she felt her cheeks heat. Somehow this act… Him  _dressing_ her was more… intimate… more…  _domestic_  than anything she'd shared with him these last two days. There was a familiarity and comfort expressed in a  _man_ dressing a  _woman_  that was not the same for a woman dressing a man. Usually only those men who preferred men as romantic partners were allowed to dress women. "H…Hai…" She stammered while he looked down at her; expressionless but with mischief lighting his eyes.

Quickly and efficiently Sesshoumaru made Rin as presentable as he could. Her obi was tied somewhat simply, but surely his mother would not expect an elaborate welcome, considering she had just 'dropped in' so unexpectedly.

The scent and aura was suddenly overpowering, and his many layers of very formal robes were somehow more stifling and uncomfortable than his armor... She was right on the other side of the door.

Steeling himself, Sesshoumaru stepped from behind the dressing screen, and sat in seiza, Rin positioning herself behind and to his left, also sitting with her behind resting on her heels.

He looked back over his shoulder at Rin, whose nervous scent was most certainly affecting him. He had to forcibly stop the instinctive twitching of the tip of mokomoko.

 _Calm yourself. There is no need for worry._ He whispered to Rin's racing mind.

Sesshoumaru schooled his features back into their impenetrable mask of stoicism and took one slow deep breath to steady himself, before he would have to face…  _His mother._

Trying to sound as commanding and imperial as possible, he finally gave his consent to slide open the door and receive his visitor,

"Enter."


	22. Mother's Plans

The lady sauntered in, taking note of her surroundings briefly before glancing down to her son and his new mate, seated formally on the floor before her.

The slightest incline of her head was all the acknowledgement she would give to Sesshoumaru, and she ignored Rin entirely but for the slide of her eyes to the young girl, whose head was bowed in respect.

It was clear from the scent in the room, the almost overpowering scent of sex, that Sesshoumaru was at least doing  _something_ right, and the smallest hint of pride shown in the flicker of her eyes, if only briefly.

With the natural grace of her station, the lady sat in formal seiza, folding her legs beneath her and resting her weight on her heels.

"Sesshoumaru." She drawled out, noting that his posture was rigid at his eyes were focused entirely on her. His face was completely blank, revealing nothing, but the discomfort he felt was clearly scented.

"Mother." He responded sharply.

"I trust you have been well?" A flick of claw, a brush of long silver hair back over her shoulder, casual gestures that did nothing to ease the tension in the room.

Sesshoumaru watched each and every move his mother made. He did not trust her in the slightest, and her motivations remained completely unclear. At this point, she was nothing but an unpredictable threat.

"What is it that brings you here, mother?" He did not have either the time or the desire for small talk. All he wanted was for her to  _leave._

"This one is… disappointed…"

An audible gasp was heard from Rin when the lady said those words.

Sesshoumaru felt his chest shake. While her disappointment in him was nothing  _new_ , he would be  _damned_ if she would insult him in front of his mate, or insult his  _choice_  in mate. No one had the right to question his decisions,  _no one._

His golden eyes narrowed and his aura went flaring.

"It is my understanding you have decided to have a human marriage ceremony?"

 _What business is that of hers?_  The hairs on the back of his neck stood up, and if he wasn't riled before, Sesshoumaru certainly was  _now_. "What of it?" He responded defensively.

Somewhere in the back of his mind, he registered that Rin was no longer even  _breathing_.

"And tell me, Sesshoumaru…" The lady mocked, "You feel this is appropriate for one of your impeccable  _breeding_? To take part in a rushed human bonding in some backwater village? Truly, I'd have thought you might  _know better_  by now. There will be no 'wedding' today, Sesshoumaru."

Rin sat silently, feeling very foolish. How could she have ever expected that Sesshoumaru should marry her in the human way? She should have told him it wasn't necessary. To have someone like him… a  _noble demon_  participate in some silly human ceremony… She was asking too much. She hadn't realized how  _insulting_ such a thing would be to his demon honor.

Rin felt like she was going to cry, and wished the earth would swallow her up right now; anything to overcome the embarrassment of having besmirtched Sesshoumaru's honor, especially in front of his  _mother._  She felt so  _stupid_  right now, like such a selfish, immature and stupid human.  _I'm sorry, Sesshoumaru…_

"Enough!" Sesshoumaru snarled, feeling how his mother's callous words were hurting his mate. He would  _not_ apologize, he would _not_  back down, and he would  _not_ explain himself to his mother in this matter. It was  _not her business_ what concessions he did or did not make for his mate's happiness.

The lady hid her smile of amusement behind one elaborate kimono sleeve, tittering softly.

She was  _laughing_ at him? At  _them_? She thought she could waltz in here,  _invade_ his privacy with her spies,  _interrupt_ his time with his mate, _order_ him around as though he were still a child,  _upset_ his mate, and now she was  _laughing_?

 _That_  was  _it._  He'd had  _enough_. Enough of her patronizing, enough of her disrespect, and enough of her meddling.

 _Sesshoumaru_ _ **smiled**_.

For the briefest of moments, the lady felt the smallest, tiniest, most minute amount of  _fear_  of her son. Perhaps she had finally gone too far. It seemed that while she'd spent centuries pushing all his buttons and taking no small amount of pleasure in doing so, that where Rin was concerned, he would not be pushed.

Now there was  _pride_  reflected in the gleam of her over-bright eyes. She was extremely  _glad_ that Sesshoumaru was reacting this way. He was protecting his mate not only physically, but also from sadness or shame, and making no apologies for it.

_Oh, but you really are a good boy, underneath it all… You will make a fine mate to that human girl, my son… A very fine mate, indeed._

"Calm down, Sesshoumaru!" Her airy lilting tone meant to sooth and calm, "You never do  _listen,_ do you? I  _said_  there would be no wedding _today_ …"

"And how is This Sesshoumaru to interpret such a statement?" He could feel the red tide pulling at his vision, and the venom surging in his blood stream…  _Get to the point, bitch, and quickly._

"Why, only that your beloved mother requires another day or two to make final preparations, of course!" The absolutely  _delighted_ smile on her face galled him to no end. The way she clapped her hands together and her eyes sparkled made him want to rip her face off.

 _Why_ did everyone seem so invested in planning this ceremony? First the miko, and now his  _mother_ ; what was it about  _his_ mating that made everyone lose their minds?

"Haha-ue wishes to help Rin and Sesshoumaru-sama with our human wedding?" Rin's pleasantly surprised, and very much relieved voice slipped past his ears, and Sesshoumaru's blood momentarily stopped boiling, and he was able to regain some of his composure.

Rin couldn't believe her ears! This, more than anything, was a sign of his mother's  _true_ acceptance of her into their family's noble ranks, and she couldn't help but be incredibly  _happy_  and completely  _honored_  that Sesshoumaru's mother would wish to help them.

Now back to his usual regal, cool, calm and collected self, Sesshoumaru felt very much more in control of the situation. He now knew why she was here, and he knew how he could get rid of her. "This Sesshoumaru does not require you assistance in this matter."

The very last thing he wanted was any sort of  _help_ from his  _mother_ … After what had happened the  _last time_ he went to her seeking a favor… For a moment his thoughts drifted back to the day he'd held Rin in his  _one_ arm and helplessly watched as every other soul in hell was purified… every soul but hers, every soul but the one that  _mattered_.

He was snapped back from the frightening thought that haunted him far more often than it reasonably should by his mother's condescending voice once more,

"Tsk Tsk, Sesshoumaru, you always are such a stubborn and ungrateful little koinu..." Sesshoumaru could feel his patience wearing thin, and at her calling him a 'puppy', he could  _feel_ the urge to rend this arrogant female rising from the pit of his belly once more.

There was no way, no way in  _hell_  he was going to allow her to  _belittle_ him in front of Rin, and he wanted her to  _go now_ , not take over and make a huge production of what he'd hoped would be a small and private ceremony with Rin. Sesshoumaru closed his eyes briefly, trying to find his center once more.

Sesshoumaru's mother gave Rin a sly wink, and immediately gave Sesshoumaru a sugary smile, "Come now, Sesshoumaru. This One has never had a  _daughter_ before now, and this One would very much like to spoil her in a manner befitting the mate of a son of mine." She turned to Rin, "Your Haha-ue promises a most beautiful and lavish ceremony, a human wedding fit for a youkai princess. What say you, little one? Will you indulge an old, lonely woman and allow her to fuss over you, just a bit?"

_Damn it. She just had to say this was for Rin, and play off of Rin's sympathies at the same time. If I don't give in now, Rin will undoubtedly think me 'mean'._

Sesshoumaru glanced behind him, and found Rin's large, very surprised, and yet now very…  _hopeful_  eyes pleading with him to accept his mother's offer to 'spoil' her.

Those eyes would be the death of him.

Rin glanced at her mother in law for a split second, who gave a tiny conspiratorial jerk of her chin, as if to say 'go on'. "Please, Sesshoumaru-sama? Rin is certain that Haha-ue will do a very nice job… And… Now Kagome-chan won't be the one in charge." The tinyest little bit of Rin's lower lip peaked out, and she dipped her chin and widened her eyes impossibly large, " _Please_ , Sesshoumaru-sama?"

Sesshoumaru closed his eyes, if only so he no longer had to gaze upon Rin's pleading face. His fists squeezed briefly at his side and he pushed out calming breath. He could feel himself shaking and cursed the way he'd somehow allowed himself to lose control of this situation.

Mated only  _two days_ and he'd somehow already found himself ganged up on by the two women in his life, and losing control.

" _You owe me for this, Rin."_ He sent the thought to her mind, and instead of feeling her kowtow in submission her mark sent waves of her joy and excitement to him.

"Do your worst, mother," Sesshoumaru elegantly rose and headed to the shoji style door, snapping it open, "But for now, leave us. This Sesshoumaru requires time alone with his mate."

"Ah, yes, yes… This One nearly forgot… It is the third day." His mother rose and reached into her kimono sleeve, leaning down and handing Rin a small piece of parchment. "You are literate?"

Rin nodded, "In hiragana, my Lady."

"Good, read this, and when the time comes…" She looked at her son with a teasing look, "make him  _beg_."

Rin's eyebrows shot up. " _Beg?_ " She could not even imagine the circumstances it might take for Sesshoumaru to  _beg_ for anyone, or any thing.

Sesshoumaru shot daggers his mother's way, but made no comment. He could not deny that, in all likelihood… By the end of the night, he would indeed be on his hands and knees and  _begging._ He had no choice in the matter, and instinct would take over.

… _After three days, if our bond becomes strong enough… my inner youkai will appear and request you mark me as well." If it were in his nature, Sesshomaru would have blushed. He never did like to acknowledge the potential for his alpha inner youkai to submit to a female, but – it could not be denied. His instincts ruled all, when it came down to matters of mating. If his beast was suitably impressed with a mate he_ _would_ _submit to her, and_ _request_ _to be marked as belonging to her. He had never considered that there would ever be a female who had the potential to bring his beast to all fours, crawling to her and begging for affection and praise. Unfortunately for his pride, there was little doubt in Sesshomaru's conscious mind that his sub-conscious mind would do just such a thing; when the time came he would acknowledge Rin as the only one to whom he would both kneel and bow to. His inner beast would_ _beg_ _for her acknowledgement and the_ _right_ _to protect her, serve her and defend her. It was only a matter of time…_

"Leave  _now,_  Mother." He insisted.

"Fine, fine… Throw an old woman out. Sesshoumaru, you completely lack any charm." The lady dusted her hands off and went to the door. "I have preparations to see to, and  _you_   _two,_ " She gave a knowing glance between the newly-mates, "have grandchildren to conceive." Sesshoumaru fought the rolling of his eyes and Rin put her head down and blushed. Sesshoumaru's mother walked airily to the open shoji, "The caravan should be arriving shortly, and this One must see to it the villagers do not riot at the sight of a hundred demons coming their way."

Sesshoumaru's eyebrows shot up, "Cara-?"

Before he could finish, his mother was gone in a flash of light.

Sesshoumaru closed the shoji, and immediately turned to Rin, still blushing.

"Thank you, Sesshoumaru… Rin knows how hard that was for you."

_Oh, but she was lovely…_

"Hai." He pulled Rin to standing, and placed the parchment which carried instructions on how to tame his inner youkai to side, lazily undressing first himself and then her once more. "Now, I believe I said you would owe me for this concession," He brushed his fingertips up along her sides, smoothing his palms over her breasts, kneading and shaping them gently before sliding his hands up to her neck, burying his long fingers in the hair and the base of her neck and the tips of his thumbs on her jaw line to tilt her head up. He leaned his tall frame down, and brushed his lips over hers softly, smirking when Rin moved to try and capture his lips in a kiss, but he held back, teasing her gently and mumbling softly, "Are you ready to pay up?"


	23. Gossip

_Rin made her way around to the front of the hut, completely unaware of her effect on her lord's deepest instincts and most primal needs, all she knew was that, now that she didn't_ _have to_ _, she didn't_ _want to_ _wait to be with him, she had waited long enough, in her opinion. She pulled back the bamboo door covering, leaning her head inside. Suddenly she was embarrassed, but her need to be with the one she'd waited for so long to call her own gives her the courage speak her intentions. Luckily, it doesn't seem she needs to explain much, as her scent is giving her away._

_"Uhhhh… Kagome-chan?"_

_She notices the knowing look that passed between the miko and her hanyou husband, who Rin has no doubt can smell the arousal on her a mile away. She's worked up and there is no hiding it from his senses._

_Kagome laughs, giving her a wink in the process._

Kagome gave a sidelong glance to her Inuhanyou husband, as she moved about the hut re-packing Rin's gifts, "Do you think she will be okay?"

"Keh, she'll be just fine." He snorted, recalling the…  _conversation_ … he'd had with his brother only an hour previous. Sesshoumaru might be a lot of things, but he wasn't an idiot and he definitely understood the potential for harming Rin if he lost control. "I gave him some pointers, and if there is one thing that bastard is good at, it's being a control freak. There's no way he'd let anything happen to her."

Kagome laughed, "Pointers? What kind of…  _pointers…_ are we talking about here?"

Inuyasha dropped a few items back in the crate, and moved to his wife's side, "Well…" he breathed, moving Kagome's hair to the side and coming in close, nipping her earlobe using his fang to graze the side of her ear, "I told him to this," his hand slid to her waist, then up to gently brush over her breast, "and this," he allowed the hand to slide over breast and continue it's way toward her neck, then to cup her jaw line and tilt her face to his own, "and  _this…_ " he breathed against her lips, before claiming them in a deep familiar kiss.

They broke apart, and Kagome tittered softly, "Well then… I'm sure Rin will be…  _just_  fine."

"Just wait til I show you the other stuff I told him." Inuyasha's face was painted with a feral grin.

Kagome blushed, shoving him in the chest to gain some distance between them, "Finish your rounds quickly then, okay?" She said, referring to Inuyasha's nightly patrol of his forest for roving youkai.

"You got it. I'll be back as soon as I can… We got the whole hut to ourselves tonight, and I ain't gonna waste it patrolling."

"I'll have this all cleaned up by the time you get back then," Kagome leaned over and gave her husband a chaste kiss, bidding him goodbye.

Inuyasha nodded and headed off toward his woods.

* * *

"Oi, Ryokun! Whadda you doin' here?" Inuyasha dropped from the tree-line and greeted the friendly forest-sentry wolf youkai. He often found Ryokun hanging around in his forest, but he was completely innocuous and had no desire to harm humans, so he was regarded as an ally and a friend. Ryokun had served his and Sesshoumaru's great father, and his loyalty extended to both sons of the Inu No Taishou as well.

"I ran into Sesshoumaru-sama's dragon grazing in the clearing around the bone eaters well, and I came to see if I could be of service to the master." Ryokun, while sweet, was not exactly the brightest, and he always seemed to forget that Sesshoumaru had legitimate non-violent business in these parts.

"Nah, he's jus' here to see Rin again."

"Oh yeah, that little human girl of his…" Ryokun scratched his head, "How is she?"

Inuyasha chuckled, "Well, she ain't so lil anymore, ya gotta remember, humans grow up real fast… In fact," Inuyasha's eyes had a wicked gleam to them, this was just the opportunity he'd been waiting for… to  _gloat_ , "He's takin' her as his  _mate_ , probably as we speak."

Ryokun blinked stupidly for several heartbeats, "Sesshoumaru-sama… a…  _human_?"

"A human." Inuyasha confirmed with a smug look, "Who'da thought, right? They're even havin' a human wedding in a few days."

Ryokun's face lit up, "This is… This is great! Lord Touga would be so happy! I can't wait until I can tell everyone!"

"Ryoukun…" Inuyasha scratched his head nervously, "I… I dunno if that's such a great idea, I mean…"

The slow-minded wolf youkai bowed low, completely ignoring Inuyasha's words, "Inuyasha-sama, as a servant of the your great and powerful chichiue, I, Ryokun will see to it that every demon is aware of their need to come and offer their respects to the Great and Honorable Sesshoumaru-sama."

 _Every demon…_  Inuyasha couldn't help it, he just  _couldn't_ help it… After so many years of having Sesshoumaru turn up his nose at him for his human mother, this was just  _too_ perfect of a revenge to exact.

"Yeah, Ryokun… I'm uh… Sure that's how he'd want it. You know how he loves to see people bow down to him and all. He'll be happy you made sure that word got out!"

 _Kami-sama, this is just too damned easy. We'll see what that bastard has to say about this one… Might bring him down a peg or two._  "Well Ryokun, I gotta get goin'; the wife is waiting at home for me, after all."

Ryokun bowed again, "You can count on me, Inuyasha-sama!"

* * *

Ryokun stood before a group the consisted of a couple of otter youkai, and a kuma-youkai and her cubs, and high up in the trees, a beautiful moth demon. He ended his speech with, "And this is why we must spread the word and all gather to show our respects to Sesshoumaru-sama!"

"A human…?" The otter youkai looked at his son fondly, and remembered the great favor Sesshoumaru-sama had done in saving his life many years ago; human or not, he would bow before Sesshoumaru-sama and his mate. "Never mind, I'll be there!"

"Yeah dad! We have to go and see that Dog youkai again! Maybe I can play with the little fox demon again!"

The bear-youkai nodded, not willing to speak out against Sesshoumaru-sama. "I'll see to it that the Wolf-tribes that live in the caves near me all know to travel to Edo within the next week to show respect. I'm certain with how fast their leader is that they'll be able to make it in time."

"What of the bats to the East? Who will tell them?" Ryokun pondered aloud.

"I will tell the bats. Seeing as they have a hanyou amongst their ranks I'm certain they will come to show their support." The beautiful male moth youkai fluttered effortlessly to the ground. "I owe Inuyasha-sama a favor for killing that worthless older brother of mine anyway…" he mumbled.

"Okay, so we have the tribes of the North and East covered, but what of the water tribes to the south? Inuyasha-sama freed their goddess and defeated the false water-god with Sesshoumaru-sama's help. I'm certain they will wish to attend as well!"

Ryokun thought hard for a minute… "I think I know just the person to spread the word!"

"Housinki, can you deliver a message to the water sprites, and ask them to take it to their goddess in the south?" Ryokun stood before the giant pearl making clam's son, named for his father.

"After the dishonorable actions of my father toward Inuyasha-sama's group… I shall see this as an opportunity to make amends." The giant clam spoke with a deep resounding voice. "That damn Naraku and his jewel shards corrupted him, and made him fight the son of one of his greatest allies, and if not for the efforts of the Inu, we all might have fallen to that damnable spider."

"Thank you very much; I'm certain Sesshoumaru-sama will be most pleased with the turn out!" Ryokun bowed as the giant clam submerged himself once again beneath the waves.

_Sitting in the room set aside for guest to dine, Rin sat across from Sesshomaru, smiling as dishes were brought out to her. Her breakfast consisted of rice with raw egg over it, and a few vegetables and pieces of raw tuna._

_"Looks wonderful, thank you." She said to the servant girl who had brought the food. Rin noted that Sesshomaru was not having any thing to eat, but only sighed slightly and shook her head. He would never eat 'human' food._

_Only after Sesshomaru had dismissed the servant girl, did Rin move to pick up her chop sticks to eat. She was startled slightly when Sesshomaru's large hand gripped her wrist, turning it over carefully, and took the chopsticks from her with his free hand._

 

* * *

 

Kagome woke entangled in her husband's warm arms, "Ohayou," she whispered.

"Mornin'" Inuyasha grunted, rubbing the sleep from his eyes and slowly sitting up to retrieve his hakama.

"So, are you going to tell Sesshoumaru what you did when he and Rin come by to retrieve her things?" Kagome giggled; she still couldn't believe that Inuyasha had told Ryokun to 'spread the word' about Sesshoumaru and Rin.

"Woman… is your brain broken or sumthin'? I ain't got a death wish." Inuyasha smirked, "Besides, it'll be way more fun if it's a surprise."

* * *

Elsewhere…

Kohaku raised his large demon-bone scythe over his head and released, missing his prey by a hair's breathe. "Kuso!" He cursed under his breath, watching as the bird youkai flew higher and higher. "Come on, Kilala!"

The neko-youkai growled and refused to budge, "What's wrong, girl?" Kohaku followed the wise old cat's gaze up to the sky where a large moth youkai was just now fast approaching the smaller bird youkai. It was obvious that the moth was stronger, and would soon over take the bird with his venom.

Kohaku swung his mighty weapon once more, falling far short of hitting the bird, and the moth glanced down with narrowed angry eyes. In a blink, the moth youkai's long tongue snaked out and poisoned the bird, causing it to fall gracelessly from the sky and hit the ground with a painful looking 'thunk'.

The moth fluttered to the ground, just in time to spin a quick web around his prey. He glanced over to the young demon slayer, "Don't interrupt my meal, boy."

Kohaku looked around, a bit confused… What was a  _moth_ doing this close to the Eastern mountains? Didn't they usually inhabit the warmer southern areas? "That bird killed and ate a human baby two days ago; I was hired to exterminate it."

"Ah, yes…" The moth licked his lips menacingly, "You are taijiya… Do you intend to try and fight me, little man?"

Kohaku shook his head, dismounting Kilala and addressing the green-haired, silver-skinned moth demon, "I have no quarrel with you, and I wasn't hired to kill you. So long as your prey is other demons, I have no reason to fight with you."

"Good answer." The moth-man sat and waited for the poison to completely consume the bird-youkai.

"You, uh… Sure are a long way from home." Kohaku wanted to find out why the moth was here… He didn't have quarrel with him  _yet,_ but if his intentions were to bother the human village only a short distance away, he might just have reason to try and exterminate this youkai as well.

"I have been charged with the extremely important task of delivering a message to the bat-youkai tribe, on behalf of an Inuyoukai lord who has recently taken a mate. Anyone who is  _anyone_ has heard the news by now, I'm sure." The beautiful moth said arrogantly.

Kohaku chuckled, he immediately thought of Sesshoumaru-sama, but yet couldn't possibly imagine that it was Sesshoumaru who was taking a mate… Rin would be devastated! He had to make sure… "I know an Inuyoukai lord… Sesshoumaru-sama. I… owe him a lot." Kohaku glanced down, thinking back to the painful time of being controlled by Naraku, and feeling a fresh wave of gratitude.

"That's the one." The moth nodded, glancing impatiently to his cocoon.

"No way!" Kohaku blurted out. How was he ever going to tell Rin? Oh gods… this was awful! "Who is it?" He just  _had to_ know which female youkai was going to be breaking the heart of the girl he thought of as a little sister.

"Some human." The moth reached over and poked the cocoon. There was no movement inside, "I didn't catch her name… Ryokun never mentioned it, but we're all going to Edo, if you would like to pay your respects."

Kohaku's head snapped up.  _A human… near Edo…_ It just…  _had_ to be… Rin!

The young taijiya smiled, genuinely happy. "I would like that very much!"

The disaffected moth cocked one black brow, making his antenna lift in a comical way. "I shall see you there, then…" He gave a pointed look to the young demon-slayer who was currently beaming at him like a complete and utter fool. He really didn't want to eat his meal in front this… human.

Kohaku shook his head, recognizing a dismissal when he heard one. "Alright then… Uh, enjoy your… meal." He nodded somewhat awkwardly before hopping back on Kilala and bolting up toward the clouds. "Let's go home, girl!"

Kilala roared in happiness, and sped toward the village. With any luck they could make it there in only a couple of days.

* * *

"Sesshoumaru-sama?"

"A human? You're sure?"

"Near Edo… Of course, of course!"

"I can't believe it, the old dog followed in his honored father footsteps."

"What's her name? Doesn't anyone know?"

"What do you think… Is a clamshell comb an okay gift for a human?"

"That brat? He's actually going to mate with that brat… Keh. Hikaku, Ginta, let's get a move on; Dog-turd's brother is gettin' himself mated!"

"Do you hear, Shiori? Soon you may have little hanyou to play with, isn't that lovely?" "Yes, mother." "I remember when I met your father… He was so handsome…"

"Jinenji, come 'ere…" "What is it, mother?" "You remember that little girl from forever ago? The one who came to get the Sinensou berries? Seems she really  _was_ smitten with that demon after all."

* * *

A teal-haired panther demoness addressed her entire tribe, wearing a very self-satisfied smirk, "What do we think? Shall we go and pay that Dog a little visit? He  _was_ a most worthy adversary… And we did promise to come back… A cat never forgets, after all…"

"Oh, yes… It  _has_ been seven years hasn't it?" A deceptively cute orange haired cat demon piped up.

The leader of the Panther demons bared her fangs, "We  _will_  have our revenge, oh yes…"


	24. The Demon Appears

 

 

"Are you ready to pay up?" He purred into her ear as his warm body pressed to Rin's, trapping her against the wall.

"Ummm... What... What does Sesshoumaru want?" Rin's whispered response, breathy and panting, gave rise to that roguish, dare he say, lecherous new-found side of his psyche. She sounded like such easy prey... so willing a recipient to his amorous advances... and so very much like she  _needed_ and, more importantly,  _wanted_ him to take her. Take her, taste her, please her, fill her...

A deep, smooth growl shook his chest as his hand rode high, tugging her kimono lapel to the side roughly, and dipping his head to run his tongue over her mate-mark, sending waves of erotic pleasure rolling over his mate's body, sending a delicious whimper to his ears. "Permission," He purred out, and pulled back gently to see her response.

"Permission?" Her hazy eyes held questions.

"Permission." He nodded, and sent a flood of images to Rin's mind, her head dropping back as he promptly maneuvered to lift her and then lay her back on their futon.

Another Obi was sacrificed to his impatience and soon, the girl was laid bare before him. Golden eyes surveyed his prize with possession and pride burning along side a flare of lust. As he lay to cover her, his large clawed hand reached for hers, and he placed it over her mate mark, opening his direct connection to her thoughts.

"Do not move that hand." He commanded.

He wanted to hear every thought, feel every shudder and twitch, from  _her_ side. He would use this time to thoroughly explore her.

"But..." Rin blushed even deeper at the implications. He was going to hear her inner most thoughts while he was... pleasuring her. Considering the nature of some of her more... interesting... fantasies, she was worried at what his reactions might be.

"Mates have no secrets between them."

Rin worried her lower lip, "But... But... What if..."

With that, he fully opened his end of the bond, and pressed his forehead to hers. His lips captured her own in a searing kiss and all Rin could feel was an overwhelming sense of... He  _wanted_ her. Not merely a sexual want. He wanted  _all_ of her. She had never before realized the depths of his true emotions toward her, how protective, possessive and even the almost  _dark_ current that flowed through his need to  _claim_ her. To  _own_ her. To make her  _his_ in every sense of the word. This feeling...

" _When humans say that youkai are unfeeling, they are completely inaccurate in that assessment. While it may appear to outsiders that they feel nothing, the truth is that youkai feel everything, very deeply._

_When a creature's emotions are as strong as a youkai's, and the being is as powerful as a youkai, such a creature must simply be extremely selective in the things they choose to have feelings over._

_When a youkai feels hate, he feels it completely, down to his very bones, when a youkai feels anger, nothing can stop the tidal wave of destruction until the source of such anger is obliterated. When a youkai holds a grudge, he will never let it go… and… when a youkai loves… he does it with everything he is… and he does it forever._

_To have such strong emotions, one must be careful who they allow to have influence over those emotions…_

_Rarely do youkai allow themselves the indulgence of true emotions._

_And almost never do they love._

_Not because they can't love, but because of the extent to which they can..."_

He did not merely  _love_ her. He adored her. He held an almost religious reverance for her and truthfully... That was  _frightening._

Buried deep within, Rin sensed a single truth.

If  _he_ could not have her, love her... No one would. If he could not possess her... He would  _destroy_ her.

Rin shivered and made the decision all over again, now with a new found respect for what it meant.

Rin decided... She was and always would be...  _His._

"Yes…" She whispered aloud, and felt his pleased smirk against the skin of her neck and a deep rumble shake his shake his chest, while satisfaction emanated from his end of their bond.

With slow, smooth languorous movements, Sesshoumaru moved to straddle Rin's waist, and sat upright above her prone body, golden eyes sliding over her tiny frame, and down to her generous breasts.

Rin's face burned as he looked at her, and she felt a renewed flame of his desire lick at the corners of her mind, his mating mark's open connection giving her privileged access to his state of mind… Even if his throbbing erection wasn't currently pointed directly at her face, and heavy enough to be brushing against her torso, above her belly but below her breasts. Every now and then she could feel it jump or twitch, hot and hard against her skin, and Rin had the overwhelming desire to touch him… But, she couldn't move her hand from her neck and she doubted she'd be able to do much with her non-dominant hand.

_You like to look at me…_ The though came to the forefront of her consciousness, and Rin immediately closed her eyes in embarrassment at being caught ogling his cock and thinking on how much she wanted to touch it.

_Why does that embarrass you?_  He reached down, using a single claw to tilt Rin's chin upward, signaling he wanted her to look at him.  _To desire one's mate is natural. To desire mating is natural. To desire mating with your mate is… Well, it goes without saying; so, why is my Rin so distressed at the idea of my knowing of her desires?_

"I don't know…" Rin whispered, and his finger came to rest on her lips, silencing her.

_Use our connection… The more we use our connection, the stronger it will become._

His hands slid to her shoulders, massaging them and her upper arms comfortingly, encouraging her to continue mentally, what she had been about to explain verbally. Her eyes met his, and Rin gave a small nod of understanding.

_Rin does not know, Sesshoumaru-sama… Perhaps because, for so long, Rin had to try so hard to hide her feelings for Sesshoumaru-sama, that to do so has become natural. For so long, Rin was so… afraid… if Sesshoumaru-sama realized Rin was in love with him… He would be angry, disgusted and he might even… InuYasha-sama said he might… kill Rin. But, Rin wasn't afraid of that… Rin was most afraid that… that… that Sesshoumaru-sama would… would… that he would leave, and Rin would never see him again. Rin would be alone, again._

His brow furrowed, and he felt upset with himself and guilty over the years he'd spent showing very little in the way of affection for Rin. He had made her feel insecure and frightened, for a very long time. She was completely convinced that, at any time, he was ready to pick up and leave her… She thought he could have walked away, and out of her life, and  _he_ would have remained completely unaffected. She had thought that he felt indifferent toward her.

_You will never be alone again, Rin. I will never leave you… To abandon one's marked mate is not only unheard of, it is thought to be impossible. Without you near, I will become gradually weaker and weaker, the longer we are apart… However, even without the mark, I would have never left you. You are, since the moment I revived you, the most precious thing in the world to me. You are, and have been, my reason to continue on… Nothing has been more important than my connection to you._

_From the time you were but a little girl… And now, you, my Rin, are no longer a child…_

His hands slid down from massaging her shoulder, to instead cup each of her breasts. He palmed and shaped the twin mounds, massaging them gently, pressing them together to admire the way her cleavage looked, and capturing her nipples between his fingers, slightly pinching and tweaking those perky little buds on occasion.

Rin's deep satisfied purr and arching back mirrored what he felt from her mark… The twitch between her legs was slowly blossoming into an ache at the apex of her thighs.  _And… you also like this…_  He was pleased that this time, Rin merely responded with an enthusiastic,  _Oh yes… More, please… More…_

His too-gentle handling of her breasts was driving her mad with want.  _Harder… More… Pinch my nipples harder, please, yes, please!_  Stray thoughts that were leaking into his mind guided his hands over her chest, and he was able to give her  _exactly_ what she wanted and needed, and  _exactly_ the right moments. He was able to know the perfect moment to lean down and lick the brownish-pink buds of her nipples, the precise time when he should wrap his lips around that same stiff little peak and suckle, and the best instant to change and mirror his actions on the opposite side.

He could sense when it was time to move on, her ache now bordering on painful, to say nothing of his own throbbing member leaking pre-seminal drops of sticky fluid onto her torso. The Dog Lord took a few more little nibbles at his mate's warm, soft, comforting breasts and slid down her body, sitting back up, and reversing the position of her legs to be on the outside of his, now.

He pulled Rin's legs apart gently and moved his own open a V, then gripped her hips and in one tug, pulled them down to meet his, draping her thighs over his. In this position, the only thing keeping his sex from hers was the fact that he was sitting up, and she was still laid back before him.

Sesshoumaru reached down, and brushed his claws through the neat little patch of soft hair that lined her sex, before using his thumbs to guide her lower-lips apart, and reveal to him the proud little pink jewel that crowned her delicate folds. Moving one thumb slightly to the side, he brushed that little button with the pad of it, and felt sparks fly through Rin's mind in response.

_Oh yes…Oh yes… Right there… Don't stop… Faster… Circle… Not so hard… Ummm… Yes… Better…_ It seemed that right now, single words were all she could muster, even in her own mind. Her vocalizations were naught but grunts and moans and sighs and whimpers.

To his surprise, it seemed as if she preferred a feather-light touch, and if he pressed too hard, it did not feel good to her, but rather, hurt. This was in direct opposition to how he preferred to be handled, where all he wanted was her hot, wet,  _tight_  body to squeeze him hard and milk him for all he was worth.

He continued to stroke and circle her jewel, until she was sopping wet in his hand, and her mind begged fulfillment of the empty ache deep inside her core. When finally he rotated his wrist and pushed two thick fingers inside her, the deep groan of satisfaction and accompanying feeling from her end of their mark had him so hard he could feel his heartbeat in his cock. Mindlessly, he reached down and encircled himself with his own hand, pumping slowly with a tight fist.

He had barely registered what he was doing, until he realized Rin had opened her eyes, and was looking down at the motions of his hand around his member. He stopped, ready to release himself and feeling terribly self-conscious, until he heard a direct thought, sent to him, _Don't stop._

He thought she meant the motions of his hand that was working  _her_ sex, and quickly snapped his attentions back to pleasuring her, but…

_No… Don't stop… The other… What you were doing… To yourself…_

Sesshoumaru looked back at Rin, who was again biting her lip and looking slightly guilty. He quirked a brow and gave a questioning look.

_Rin likes to… wants to watch…It's very…erotic looking._

_You do not believe it to be… pathetic… for a male to resort to self-pleasure in the absence of a mating partner?_

His hand inside her had gone completely still. For so long, he had felt such deep, unabiding  _shame_  in the fact that he would occasionally pump himself to climax, alone and desperate, without a female in the youkai world willing to touch him… They all feared him, and at the same time, mocked him for the half-breed in his line and his father's shameful acts.

Rin felt the inner turmoil of her mate, and backed away, letting his fingers slip from inside her, and pulled herself to sit up. She crawled over to him, and pulled his face into her hands, their eyes meeting. "No. Absolutely not." Rin said aloud, before pulling him in for a deep kiss. When they broke apart, she spoke again, "My Lord is a gentlemen of the highest class, who could never take a female against her will… He made the honorable choice… And," Rin's tone took on the air of mischief, "Besides… It feels  _really good_. What's wrong with that?"

With that, she reached down and grabbed his hand in her own, and moved it to his member, wrapping his fingers around his cock, her own hand loosely over his, and began to stroke. The whole time Rin kept watching his hand move over his cock, with a red face and excited eyes.

"Lay back again for me." Sesshoumaru mumbled into her ear, and Rin obeyed without question, moving her hand back over her mate mark, and spreading her thighs wide and thrusting her hips in time as he worked her back into full, wet, excitement… It wasn't difficult, thanks to the erotic show he was now providing her with.

He found her inner pleasure center, and curled his fingers against it, rocking back and forth against her inner wall and sending Rin into shuddering spasms.  _So close, so close, kamisama, kimochiii…please… kudasai…kudasai…_

_Good girl, Rin…Good girl… That's it…What do you need, Rin? Tell me, what do you need?_  He could feel she was purposely holding back, and he knew she was  _close_.

_L…li…lick… Rin… there… kudasai…_

Sesshoumaru let go his member, and swiftly moved to put his face between his mate's widely parted thighs. He didn't have to be offered twice. Any chance he could get to relish in the tangy clean taste, and deeply spiced scent of her sex, he would gladly take. His tongue darted out, sliding over her button, flicking and licking, while his two thickest fingers continued to plunge in and out, his fingers curling and straightening, and curling again, to make hard circles over that rough, raised place within. Finally, her juices drenching his face, his fingers, and the futon below them, Rin's sex clenched up around him, and her thighs went taut, her toes curled, her breathing stopped, and her mind went totally blank… A few heartbeats later and her body shattered into climax, her inner walls rippling, her legs jerking, and her breathing reduced to pants and moans and sobs of ecstasy.

It was too much for him. He absolutely needed to be inside her,  _now_.

Swiftly, Sesshoumaru crawled up her body and licked her cheek, his hand found hers, the one not still held over her mate mark, and he entwined their fingers, pulling her arm up over her head, and nuzzling into her armpit, taking in the salty scent of her body. By the gods, did she ever smell like heaven… With his other hand, he reached between them and slipped his member inside her still quivering core, their hips meeting with a distinct 'thud'.  _I cannot… hold back…_ He managed to send that last thought to her mind, before sliding out and thrusting back in, beginning a brutal pace that left Rin clinging to him with her thighs wrapped around his waist.

_Yes… Um… My love…So full… So good… Don't stop… Rin is going to come aga…_

Her body again wracked with climax, and Sesshoumaru's howl rocked the very walls as he felt himself expand inside her, tying a knot that would keep them in place while his seed filled her waiting belly, and he hoped… he hoped it would take hold.

As the two came down from their mutual, psychically enhanced high of shared climax, Sesshoumaru rolled them to their sides and merely wrapped the girl up in his arms, and finally allowed her to move her hand from the mark at her neck.

He sat in silent contemplation.

_This was mating, as mating should be, for youkai… Not the shallow rutting father had participated in with that stupid little human whore._ _**His** _ _human was oh so different, oh so very much_ _**better** _ _than the rest of them. She alone was special…And, by the Gods was she ever beautiful when she was writhing slickly sweat covered beneath his paws…hands…Where had… Where had 'paws' come from?_

At that moment a low, deep, animal growl worked its way through his frame, and his vision became tinted red, as he felt himself slowly taken over by a transformation that he himself had not willed. It had just… happened. He felt his conciousness shift and Rin had obviously felt it as well, because now, through red-tinted vision, a very different Sesshoumaru was looking down into her startled eyes.

"Sesshoumaru?" Rin's voice echoed like the sounds of angels singing in his ears. Her scent, so strong and clear and young and healthy and perfect… She was perfect. Too perfect. This one… This one, this one, this one…

His instincts screamed at him…  _You belong to this one. This one is your bitch. You need her to know… You need to ask her… Will she have you?_

_Will she mark you?_

"Rrrrrriiinnnn…"

 


End file.
